The Other Tyler
by DWgeek2010
Summary: Rose's cousin, Clara, who lives with her and Jackie, gets caught up in Rose's, and the other companions', adventures with the stange man who calls himself the 'Doctor' 9,10, 11/OC, maybe 12/OC eventually. Chapter seven now edited and fixed! Rating may change in the future!
1. Rose

A/N: Hello everyone! So, funny story…hours after posting my last author's note, I lost my flash drive containing all my work on it! I finally bought another one after a month or so (sorry!) and had to retype EVERYTHING! So, no, I'm not dead. So, finally, after who knows how long, here is the first chapter, reposted, as promised.

**The Other Tyler**

***Rose Part One***

June 16, 1995

A very small and ginger nine-year-old girl ran up to the blonde woman, hugging her around the top of her legs.

"Auntie Jackie! Auntie Jackie!" the little girl cried out. "I missed you!"

"I missed you, too, love," Jackie Tyler said, hugging her niece, whom had recently been orphaned. Pete Tyler's (who had been dead for nearly nine years now) brother, Robert, and his wife, Amanda, had just been killed in a car accident only two days before. Poor little Willow Tyler had been thrown from the backseat of the car when the door had sprung open just before the car had sailed off a cliff. She still had a deep gash across her forehead and a dark bruise on her right cheek.

"Rosie!" Willow cried out her nickname for her cousin, who had just entered the living room.

"Willie!" the nine-year-old Rose Tyler yelled, rushing up to hug her only cousin. The redhead immediately started tearing up, hugging Rose as hard as she could, as if she were the only lifeline Willow had. Jackie looked upon the two sadly, before she carried the two small suitcases that belonged to Willow down the hall to Rose's bedroom, where the little orphaned girl would be living from now on, seeing as Jackie and Rose were her only living relatives. The funeral would be held the following day, with a dinner at the Tyler residence afterwards and Jackie wasn't looking forward to it.

Later that night, after Jackie had gone to bed, Rose woke to the sound of sobbing. She found Willow sitting on her bed with her head in her small hands. She got up and sat down beside her cousin, putting one arm around her and stroked her head with the other.

"I m-miss them, Rosie!" Willow sobbed.

"I know, Willie, but don't worry! Mum and I will take good care of you," Rose assured her. "You are my bestest friend in the whole world."

Willow gave her a small, sad smile. "You're my bestest friend, too, Rosie, but it isn't really the same. I-I'll never see them again!" She broke down into new tears, clutching onto her cousin.

Rose held her cousin until Willow had cried herself to sleep. The next morning, Jackie found both of the girls in the same bed, hugging onto each other.

Ten years later….

"Rosie," a now nineteen-year-old, five-eight foot Willow whined. "C'mon. We've got to go. I told Aunt Jackie that we'd be home in time for dinner."

"Sorry, Willow, but I gotta go give this money to Wilson," Rose Tyler said, edging towards the elevator.

"Fine," Willow sighed. "I'll wait up here for you, but if you're not back in five minutes, find another ride."

"Right," Rose said, with a smile.

Willow watched as Rose disappeared into the elevator and down to the basement level. Willow sighed again. She was never serious about leaving Rose behind to find another ride. It was an ongoing joke between the two. Willow wandered around the now-empty Hendrik's clothing shop. The guard, Joe, had locked the doors only moments before and was patrolling the place.

"Hey, Joe," Willow greeted him in her usual quiet voice.

"Oh, hey, Willow. Waiting on Rose again?" Joe asked.

"Don't I every night?" Willow said with a small laugh. Joe wandered off to patrol the rest of the shop, leaving Willow on her own. She sighed for a third time and started to browse through the clothes. A couple of minutes later, she glanced at her watch. It had been five minutes, but there was no sign of Rose. That was odd. Usually, she was back within a couple of minutes. She rubbed the scar on her forehead unconsciously, as she always did when she was worried. It was leftover from the car accident that had killed her parents.

Willow tapped her foot impatiently, debating what to do. She could stay right where she was and keep looking at the clothes, waiting, or she could go look for Rose. So much for a normal day… She heaved another sigh, before going back to browsing through the clothes, telling herself that she was just overacting, like usual. She had a bad habit of being a worry-wart, nearly having Jackie Tyler beat.

She suddenly heard a sound that came from behind her. She whirled around, but saw no one.

"Hello?" she practically whispered. "Joe? Joe, is that you?" Still seeing no one, Willow took cautious, baby steps to the area where the noise had come from, despite her gut telling her to run for it. There was nothing there but a male mannequin….which turned its head to look directly at her. Willow let out a small squeak before asking, "Is that you, Joe? 'Cos that's not funny at all!"

Another mannequin turned to face her, taking a step towards her. Willow started to slowly walk backwards to the entrance of the shop.

"Who are you? Who put you up to this, hmm?" Willow demanded. "Was it Rose? Or maybe Derek, 'cos he likes a prank now and then, him." Not getting a response, Willow kept backing up.

"Joe! Rose!" she suddenly screamed, noticing that it wasn't a joke or a prank anymore. She was nearly backed up to the wall, surrounded by the mannequins. Willow was always usually good at thinking on her toes, so she quickly whipped her head around, searching for a quick exit. The elevator would take too long, the back way was blocked by mannequins, and she only had so much space in the store to run around in to escape, which would be pointless.

Looked like it was the front entrance that Joe had only locked only minutes before. This thought process only took about three seconds to complete and Willow started to sprint towards the glass doors at the front. A sudden banging sound made to screech to a halt, startled. There were mannequins in the front display boxes of the shop, trying to get out. She shook her head quickly and took the last few steps to the door.

Knowing it was locked, she pulled down a metal rack that was holding clothes and started using the metal rod to try and break the glass, screaming for help all the while. She spotted Rose immediately, running down the sidewalk on the other side of the street, holding something and looking terrified. Willow started pounding on the door harder, but her blonde cousin didn't take notice.

"Rose!" she screamed. She started crying, then. Thick, hot tears of frustration, fear, and anger. She realized that this was probably the end. Death by plastic mannequin. Who knew. Giving up on her cousin, Willow grew more determined to break the glass with the metal rod, but it didn't give. It had been built to withstand guns and robbers, it wasn't going to break from a skinny girl with no arm strength. Getting ready to take another swing at the door, the ground shook violently beneath her feet as an explosion ripped through the building. The glass doors she was trying to break blew apart, sending glass in every direction. Willow was knocked off her feet and hit her head, rendering her unconscious.

Rose knew she was forgetting something, but in her panic, she just couldn't remember what it was. Her eyes suddenly snapped open wide, as she remembered her cousin, whom had been waiting for her. An explosion sounded in the night and flames burst out of the windows of the building she had just left and her cousin was still inside of.

"WILLOW!" she screamed out, sprinting back to the building, while people were running and screaming with panic. Smoke and flames were billowing out of every crack and exit in the building, as well as the roof. Rose stuck the plastic arm she was still carrying under her arm and shoved her way through the crowd of people to the front doors. Coughing, Rose put her pink jacket-covered arm over her mouth and nose, squinting into the chaos, trying to find Willow.

Rose tripped over something, but recovered herself before she fell to the floor. She found out that that something was her cousin's leg, sticking out of the rubble. Willow was still unconscious when Rose grabbed her arms and started pulling her out into the street.

"C'mon, Willow! Wake up!" Rose yelled, trying desperately to wake her red-headed cousin.

"Rosie?" Willow mumbled, and then she groaned.

"Yeah, Willow, it's me," Rose said. "Now, we gotta get outta here."

Rose helped the dazed girl to her feet and put an arm around her waist. Willow put her arm around Rose's shoulders and the two girls hobbled towards the Tylers' flat, Rose practically making Willow run.

"Geez, Rosie, where's the fire?" Willow muttered, still dizzy.

"Don't you remember?" Rose asked, starting to panic.

"I-I remember waiting for you. You took forever. And then I spoke to Joe. A-and then….oh, my gosh! The mannequins, Rose! T-they were—"

"Alive. Yeah, I know," Rose nodded solemnly.

The girls rushed down the sidewalk, not seeing the large, blue police box sitting right in plain sight….

When they returned to the Tylers' flat, Jackie made them tea, while watching the news and gabbing away on the phone. Jackie had freaked out, which was putting it mildly, especially after seeing the state Willow was in. Willow had glass shards stuck in her clothes all over the place as well as dirt streaked everywhere. She also had a small gash on her head, which was giving her the mother of all headaches.

"I know, it's on the tellie! It's everywhere. They're lucky to be alive!" Jackie said into the phone. Willow didn't catch the rest of what Jackie was yammering on about as she went to clean up and change into her comfy pajamas. She had cleaned up the blood from the glass exploding and had a butterfly bandage on her head. Other than that and some slight bruising she would have the next day, she was alright. Jackie was concerned that Willow had a concussion and had wanted her to go to the hospital, but Willow refused. Jackie relented and had Willow sleep on the sofa so she could wake her every two hours.

Willow was now slumped on the sofa, sitting by Rose, resting her head on her cousin's shoulder, sipping at her tea. When Mickey rushed in to see Rose, Willow took that as her cue to leave. She picked up the plastic mannequin arm that Rose had brought home and took it to her room. Sitting on her bed, examining it, she thought that there was no possible way that the mannequins should have been walking as they had. There had to be some sort of explanation and Willow's mind was leaning towards extraterrestrial.

She started when Mickey popped his head in the room.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, fine," Willow said. She had always liked Rose's boyfriend, Mickey Smith, even if he was a bit of an idiot every now and then.

"Right, well, I'm going down to the pub. Wanna come?" he asked.

"Nah," she said. "Shouldn't drink with a supposed concussion. Jackie would have a cow. Plus I don't fancy watching a match," she teased.

"Er, yeah, probably not," Mickey agreed. "Well, I'm off. Oh, and Rose wants me to take that there arm with me. 'Course I don't' see the bloody point to it. It's just a plastic arm."

Willow tossed the arm to Mickey, who pretended to strangle himself with it, making Willow giggle, and then he left the flat. She wandered back into the small sitting room and passed by Jackie, who was still on the phone and flopped down by Rose again.

"So what _did_ happen?" Willow asked. "I leave you alone for all of ten minutes and you blow up the building on me!"

"I really don't know," Rose said. "It was that man."

"What man?" Willow asked in curiosity.

"I'll you later tonight," Rose whispered as Jackie came back into the room and stopped to fuss over Willow's wounds.

"I'm fine, Aunt Jackie!" Willow insisted.

After promising Jackie that she'd come back out and sleep on the couch, Rose and Willow went into the bedroom. Rose told Willow all about the mysterious man who had called himself the Doctor who had saved Rose's life by kicking her out of the building and to run for her life.

Willow lay awake on the sofa that night, not knowing what to make of the odd circumstances she found herself in, but then again, she was having a hard time just thinking straight. As promised, Jackie woke Willow up every two hours in the night and when the alarm went off the next morning at 7:30, like every other morning, Willow groaned. She was groggy when she woke up, as well as stiff and sore everywhere. Jackie handed her a couple of painkillers with her coffee and Willow downed both of them, feeling a bit better afterwards.

She felt every better after taking a hot shower and dressing for the day. When she wandered into the kitchen for another cup of coffee an hour later, she bounced over to Jackie and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She grinned widely at Rose behind Jackie's head as Jackie tried to talk her daughter into getting a job at the butcher's. Rose only rolled her eyes at Willow as Jackie wandered off to her bedroom. A sudden noise made Willow and Rose both jump. Willow was still jumpy after what had happened last night, thinking it was the mannequins coming back to get her.

"Mum, you're such a liar," Rose shouted at Jackie. "I told you to nail down that cat flap down. We're gonna get strays."

"I nailed the flap down myself weeks ago, Rose," Willow said. The two girls crept towards the front door, where they both crouched, examining the nails that were now on the floor.

"How on earth did that happen?" Willow wondered aloud. The flap pushed open a bit, making Willow jump. She stood back up, watching as Rose carefully poked at the cat flap and finally pushed it open. Rose then jumped straight up and pulled the door open.

Willow's eyes widened at the sight of the strange man in the jumper and leather jacket on the other side, also straightening up.

"What're you doin' here?" the man asked Rose.

"I live here," Rose retorted.

"Well, what'd you do that for?" the man asked, his Northern accent coming out strong.

"'Cos I did," Rose said. "I'm only home 'cos someone blew up my job." Her tone had accusation in it.

"Um, Rose," Willow said, "who is he?"

"I'm the Doctor," the man announced with a large goofy grin on his face, holding a little stick-like thing that was glowing blue on the end. "And you are?"

"Willow," she said, then turned to Rose. "_This_ is the Doctor?" She was skeptical.

"Nice to meetcha, Willow," he said. "Musta got the wrong signal. You two aren't plastic, are you?" He knocked his hand against Rose's forehead. "No, bonehead. Bye then!" He turned to leave. Willow giggled softly.

"You. Inside, right now," Rose said, grabbing the Doctor's leather jacket sleeve. Willow stepped aside to accommodate a third person in the small entryway.

"Who is it?" Jackie asked.

"Er, no one, Aunt Jackie," Willow said at the same time Rose said, "It's about last night. He's part of the inquiry. Give us ten minutes to talk to him."

Willow rolled her eyes as Jackie ranted on about Rose getting compensation as well as Willow getting something for being injured. We went into the kitchen and put the kettle on to make some tea. Rose came in a moment later and started making coffee.

"Cake?" Willow offered the man called the Doctor through the kitchen window. He was looking through a magazine and Rose's mail.

"Sure, why not?" he said, not bothering to look up. Willow put some of the double chocolate cake (some she had made two days ago) on a plate and took it out to him.

"Here ya go," Willow said softly.

"Thanks," he said with another big grin.

He looked up at her this time and appeared as if he was seeing her for the first time.

"Yes?" she asked, slightly annoyed with his staring.

"You're ginger," he said.

"And is there something wrong with that?" Willow asked defensively. She had been made fun of for being ginger all through school.

"Nope," he said, popping the 'p.' "I've always wanted to be ginger."

Willow went back into the kitchen with a strange look on her face.

"He's a bizarre man," Willow told her cousin. "He just told me that he's always wanted to be ginger. Sometime I hate being ginger."

Rose grinned at her cousin before saying to the man in the sitting room, "It said on the news that they found a body."

The Doctor didn't say anything in return, just looked at his reflection in the mirror, flicking his ears, muttering, "Ah, could've been worse," to himself.

Willow got herself her third cup of coffee for the day and took more painkillers for the headache that was starting to return. Rose was trying to talk the Doctor into going to the police and the Doctor was walking around the sitting room, not directly answering Rose's questions, talking to himself, and messing with anything he saw, which, at the moment, just happened to be a deck of cards. Willow let out a giggle as the cards went flying everywhere.

She went about fixing a cup of tea for the Doctor as he asked, "What's that then? Have either of you got a cat?"

"No," Rose answered. Willow sipped coffee out of her favourite mug and took the Doctor's cup of tea into the sitting room to him. She nearly dropped the mugs as she saw the Doctor being strangled by the plastic arm. The same plastic arm that she had thought Mickey had thrown out the night before.

"Shit!" she exclaimed, eyes widened in fear. Willow stood there for a full second in fear before realizing that the Doctor needed help. She quickly rid herself of the two mugs and took a step forward to help, but was pushed out of the way as Rose came by with her own mug of tea. Rose sighed when she saw the Doctor.

"I told Mickey to chuck that out. All the same. Give a man a plastic hand….Anyways, I don't even know your name. Doctor…what was it?" Rose asked.

Willow let out a small shriek as the Doctor finally got the plastic arm from around his neck. It flew in her direction, and she ducked as it flew over her head. She turned around to find it had latched itself onto her cousin's face.

"Rose!" she cried, rushing over to help her. The Doctor was there first, trying to pry the plastic arm away. Rose was struggling against the wall, visibly freaking out and suffocating. The Doctor gave one good tug on the arm a little too hard and both he and Rose went flying back into the glass coffee table, completely shattering it. Rose finally managed to make it back on the couch, with Willow assisting her. Willow knelt next to her on the other cushion, trying to pry the hand off of her cousin's face, holding her tears back, running on adrenalin.

"Doctor, do something!" Willow shrieked. She felt rather useless at the moment. The Doctor pulled something out of his jacket pocket. It was the same stick with the blue light at the end.

"What good is that thing gonna bloody do?!" Willow yelled.

The stick thing made a whirling sound and the hand came off of Rose's face. Willow put her arm around her cousin and they both scrambled back away from the plastic. More whirling sounds came from the stick-looking thing and the plastic went still.

"It's alright, I've stopped it," the Doctor said, looking at Willow and Rose. He tossed the arm to Rose, who gasped but caught it, holding it away from her body. "'Armless," the Doctor said, trying to be funny.

"D'you think?" Rose asked, hitting the Doctor in the arm with the plastic arm. The Doctor grabbed his arm and said, "Ow!"

"Stop being a baby," Willow said. "Explain, now please."

"Haven't the time," the Doctor said, standing up and grabbing both her and Rose's hands, yanking them out of the flat and to the stairs.

"Hold on a minute. You can't just go swanning off," Rose said, Willow on her heels.

"Yes, I can. Here I am. This is me, swanning off. See ya!" the Doctor said.

"It isn't right!" Willow yelled after him.

"But that arm was moving. It tried to kill me and it could've killed Willow!" Rose said. By this point, Rose and Willow were running down the stairs of Powell Estate, following the mysterious man who was carrying a plastic mannequin arm. It was all rather strange to Willow.

"Ten out of ten for observation," the Doctor said.

"You can't just walk away! That's not fair. You—you've got to tell us what's goin' on," Rose demanded.

"No, I don't," the Doctor said.

"Yeah, you do!" Willow yelled out to him. Willow followed after the Doctor and Rose as they pushed open the doors to the building and went out into the street, leaving Powell Estate behind them.

"Alright then," Rose said. "We'll go to the police and tell everyone. You said if we did that, we'd get people killed. So, your choice. Tell us or we'll start talking."

"Rose!" Willow exclaimed, shocked. She wasn't about to get anyone killed. Not even for this lunatic.

"What, that supposed to sound tough?" the Doctor asked.

"Sort of," Rose admitted.

"Doesn't work," the Doctor said.

"I think it does," Willow piped up, only to be ignored as Rose went on.

"Who are you?" Rose questioned the man.

"Told you, the Doctor," he said.

"Yeah, but Doctor what?" Rose asked as Willow asked, "Doctor who?"

"Just the Doctor," he answered both of them.

"The Doctor?" Rose and Willow questioned at the same time.

"Hello!" he said, waggling his fingers at them.

"Is that supposed to sound impressive?" Rose asked.

"Sort of," the Doctor said.

"But it's not," Willow said, getting irritated.

"C'mon then and tell us. We've both seen enough. Are you the police?" Rose asked, skipping to walk next to the Doctor.

"No, I was just…passing through," the Doctor said, still carrying the plastic arm. "I'm a long way from home."

"But what have we done wrong? How come those plastic things keep coming after us? Me and Willow?" Rose asked.

"Oh! Suddenly the whole world revolves around the two of you? You were just an accident. You got in the way, that's all," the Doctor said.

"It tried to kill us!" Rose exclaimed.

"We're not disposable!" Willow said, getting red in the cheeks.

"Never said you were," the Doctor said. "It was after me, not you two. Last night in the shop, I was there. You blundered in, almost ruined the whole thing. This morning, I was tracking it down, it was tracking me down, the only reason it fixed on you is you met me!"

"You have a big ego, don't you?" Willow asked, eyeing him in distaste. He grinned at her.

"So, what you're saying is that the entire world revolves around you?" Rose asked with sarcasm.

"Sort of, yeah," the Doctor said, serious.

"Definitely a big ego," Willow said, making the Doctor turn around and give her another big grin. She frowned at him, wary. Something drew her to him, but at the same time, she didn't really like this man called the Doctor.

"You're full of it!" Rose said.

"Sort of, yeah," the Doctor said again.

"But, all this plastic stuff, no one else knows about it?" Rose asked.

"No one," the Doctor confirmed.

"Except us," Willow said. "What about your partner?" The Doctor just gave her a sad look.

"What, you're all alone?" Rose asked, noticing the look.

"Well, who else is there? You lot, all you do is eat chips, go to bed, and watch tellie, when all the time, beneath you , there's a war goin' on," the Doctor said.

"Okay," Rose said. She suddenly reached out and snatched the plastic arm from the Doctor and Willow crossed her arms over her chest. "Start from the beginning."

"The very beginning," Willow said, moving to walk on the Doctor's other side. Even as the Doctor explained everything, Willow couldn't help but feel as if he were leaving something out.

"I mean, if we're gonna go with a living plastic, (and I don't even believe that) if we do, how did ya kill it?" Rose asked.

"The thing controlling it projects life into the arm. I cut off the signal, dead," the Doctor said.

"So, that's radio control?" Rose asked.

"Thought control," the Doctor said. "Are you two alright?"

"Fine," Willow said. She was surprised to find that she really was fine with it all, as strange as it sounded.

"Yeah," Rose said, looking at Willow for a moment. "So, who's controlling them, then?"

"Long story," the Doctor said, stepping around the question.

"What's it all for? I mean, shop window dummies…what's that about? Is someone trying to take over Britain's shops?" Rose asked innocently.

Willow giggled along with the Doctor and Rose and said, "I doubt it, Rose."

"No," the Doctor said.

"I know," Rose said, trying not to seem dumb.

"Rose just likes to pull your leg," Willow said, coming to her cousin's aid.

"It's not a price war," the Doctor said, laughing, then he turned serious.

_Wow, bi-polar much?_ Willow thought to herself.

"They want to overthrow the human race and destroy you. Do you two believe me?" the Doctor asked them.

"No," Rose said and the Doctor turned to Willow for her answer.

"Eh—it's a bit, I dunno, far-fetched," Willow said, giving her honest opinion.

"But you both are still listening," the Doctor pointed out.

"It _is_ intriguing," Willow muttered mostly to herself.

Rose stopped walking suddenly, causing Willow to run into her back, while the Doctor kept going.

"Really, though, Doctor. Tell us—who are you?" Rose asked and the Doctor stopped, turning back to the girls.

"Do you know like we were saying? About the Earth revolving?" he asked, walking back up to Willow and Rose, stopping in front of them. "It's like when you were a kid. The first time they tell you the world's turning and you just can't quite believe it because everything looks like it's standing still. I can feel it."

He took one of Rose's hands and one of Willow's. Willow felt something stir in her stomach at the touch of his hand that she couldn't explain and flushed slightly.

"The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath out feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour, and the entire planet is hurling around the sun at sixty-seven thousand miles an hour, and I can feel it. We're falling through space, you, me, and Willow. Clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go…" he let go of their hands and Willow was both sorry he let go and relieved. "That's who I am. Now, forget me, Rose and Willow Tyler."

He took the plastic arm from Rose and waved it at both the girls and said, "Go home." He turned on heel and walked away from them again.

Willow sighed and started to walk away. She was both relieved and strangely sad that the mysterious man called the Doctor was out of her life now. She couldn't really explain it as it wasn't really a secret from Rose that she didn't exactly like the man. As she started back to the flat, there was a sudden _whooshing_ noise and Willow found herself alone on the street. Rose had taken off in the other direction, towards the noise. Willow sighed again, rubbing her scar on her forehead and waited for Rose, who came back a minute later.

"Is he gone?" Willow asked.

"Yeah, just disappeared into thin air," Rose said, frowning.

"We shouldn't worry about it anymore," Willow said, sounding unconvincing. "Home?"

"Nah, let's stop by Mickey's first," Rose said and Willow groaned and rolled her eyes, but followed after her cousin. Willow hated going by Mickey's flat. It was always dirty (typical of a man) and she always felt the need to clean it, which she usually did. Mickey let them in a minute after they knocked.

"Yahey, there's my woman!" Mickey exclaimed and Willow rolled her eyes and then flushed as Mickey smacked Rose on the ass. "Kit off! Oh, hey, Willow," he said, grinning at the red-head.

"Hey, Mick," she said, smiling.

"Shut up," Rose teased, giving Mickey a kiss. "Mwah!" she smacked their lips dramatically.

"Coffee?" Mickey offered the girls.

"Sure," Willow said absently, not being able to get her mind off the Doctor, who had left her life quickly but intrigued her greatly, despite what she told Rose.

"Yeah, only if you wash the mug. And I don't mean rinse, I mean wash. Can we use your computer?" Rose asked.

"Yeah," Mickey answered. "Any excuse to get in the bedroom."

"Gah!" Willow gasped, disgusted. "I'm still here, you know!"

Mickey rolled his eyes at Willow's usual attitude and blush and went into the kitchen to make coffee, while Willow followed Rose into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

"Don't read my e-mails!" Mickey shouted through the flat.

"Ew," Willow said. "Don't intend to. I always feel like I seriously need to clean this place. Especially after you've been here," she teased her blonde cousin.

"Oh, shut up," Rose laughed.

Willow pulled up a chair next to the computer and Rose switched it on. When it was fully on and the pop-ups were closed, Rose typed in 'Doctor' into the search engine. When it didn't provide anything useful, Willow suggested, "Try 'Doctor, living plastic' or something."

Rose typed it in, but there was still nothing. She finally typed in 'Doctor Blue Box'. The first result was titled 'Doctor Who—do you know this man? Contact Clive here…'

"I can't believe we're doing this," Willow whispered. "Why blue box?"

"It's what he disappeared in," Rose answered, clicking on the website to find a very blurry picture of the Doctor that was titled, 'Have you seen this man? Contact Clive.'

"Oh, gotcha," Willow nodded, still a bit confused though.

Rose clicked on 'Contact Clive' to find an address that was nearby, which Willow wrote down on a notepad sitting next to the computer.

"Right," Willow said. "Now to convince Mickey to drive us to see this Clive. You e-mail Clive to let him know we're coming later today, I'll go see how that coffee is coming along."

It took some begging and a lot of kissing from Rose's end to convince Mickey to drive them. Two hours later, the trio was sitting in Mickey's Volkswagen Beetle in front of Clive's house.

"You're not coming in," Rose told Mickey. "He's safe, he's got a wife and kids."

"Besides, Rose and I can handle ourselves," Willow said. "I took those self-defense classes, remember?"

"Yeah, but who told you he had a family? He did. That's exactly what an Internet lunatic murderer _would_ say," Mickey argued.

Rose just got out of the car, Willow following. Willow giggled, thinking it was cute that Mickey wanted to protect them even though she knew that when it came down to it, he would be useless. Rose and Willow waltzed up to the door and knocked on it. It was answered by a boy who looked to be about eleven or so.

"Hello," Willow said, trying to be pleasant. "We're here to see Clive?"

"We've been e-mailing," Rose added.

"Dad! It's a couple of your nutters!" the boy yelled inside the house.

"Rude," Willow muttered to Rose. A man appeared at the door.

"Sorry," he said. "Hello, you must be Rose and Willow. I'm Clive, obviously."

"I'd better tell you now—my boyfriend's waiting in the car, just in case you're going to kill us," Rose said.

Willow giggled, along with Rose and Clive at Mickey's idiocy.

"No, good point. No murderers," Clive said and he waved past the girls to Mickey, who nodded.

"Who is it?" a woman asked.

"Oh, it's something to do with the Doctor! Both these girls here have been reading the website. Please come though, I'm in the shed," Clive said.

The woman who had spoke came down the stairs by the door, carrying some laundry.

"Girls? They read a website about the Doctor? They are girls?" she asked and Willow waved shyly at her. The woman shut the door behind them and Clive led Rose and Willow through the house out back to a shed, which looked like a strange shrine to the Doctor.

"A lot of this stuff's quite sensitive, I just couldn't send it to you two. People might intercept it, if you know what I mean. If you dig deep enough—keep a lively mind—this Doctor keeps cropping up all over the place. Political diaries, conspiracy theories. Even ghost stories. No first name, no last name. Just 'The Doctor.' Always 'The Doctor.' And the title seems to have been passed down from father to son. It appears to be an inheritance. That's your Doctor there, isn't it?"

He pointed to the blurry picture of the Doctor that had been on his website.

"Yeah," both Rose and Willow said at the same time.

"I tracked it down to the Washington public archive last year. The online photo's enhanced, but if we look at the original…"

He showed the girls the original picture of the Doctor standing in a crowd. Willow identified it as Dealey Plaza in Dallas Texas.

"No way," she breathed.

"November 22, 1963. The assassination of President Kennedy," Clive confirmed.

"That's not possible," Willow gasped.

"Must be his father," Rose suggested and Willow nodded in agreement.

"Going back further…April 1912," Clive said, pulling out a photo album to show them another picture. "This is a photo of the Daniels family, Southampton. And friend," he added, pointing to the Doctor, whom was standing behind the family. "This was taken the day before they were due to sail off for the New World on the Titanic. And for some unknown reason, they canceled the trip and survived. And…1883. Another Doctor. And look—same lineage. He's identical. This one washed up on the coast of Sumatra on the very day Krakatau exploded. The Doctor is a legend woven throughout history. When disaster comes, he's there. He has a storm in his wake. And he has one constant companion."

"Who's that?" Rose asked as Willow took a deep breath, processing everything.

"Death," Clive said. "If the Doctor's back…if you two've seen him, Rose, Willow…then one thing's for certain…we're all in danger. If he's singled you two out…if the Doctor's making house calls…then God help you two."

"Who is he exactly?" Willow asked.

"Like, who do you think he is?" Rose asked him a moment later.

"I think he's the same man. I think he's immortal. I think he's an alien from another world," Clive said.

Rose and Willow both thanked Clive for the information, all while trying not to laugh, and left, heading back to Mickey and the car.

"Alright! He's a nutter! Of his head! COMPLETE online conspiracy freak! You win!" Rose told Mickey, while Willow broke down into giggles while climbing in the backseat. "What're we gonna do tonight? I fancy a pizza. What about you, Willow?"

"Pizza's good," Willow said.

"Pizzzaaa! P-p-p-pizza!" Mickey said.

"You okay, mate?" Willow asked, concerned.

"—or Chinese…" Rose suggested, a little weirded out.

"Pizza!" Mickey said, driving the car off down the street to their favourite pizza parlour.

Willow sat at a table with Rose and Mickey that was originally meant for only two. She felt like a total third wheel and was considering walking home, which luckily wasn't too far away from the pizza parlour. Seated beside Willow, Rose was jabbering on about finding a new job.

"D'you think I should try the hospital? Suki said they had a few jobs going in the canteen. That's it….dishing out chips…I could do A levels…" Rose wondered aloud.

Willow let out a laugh and said, "Ha! Right, you going back to school? That's a laugh, isn't it? That'd mean I'd have to go back to school, too, to tutor you."

"I dunno," Rose said, sighing, and giving up on that idea. "It's all Jimmy Stone's fault. I only left school because of him, and look where he ended up. What do you think?" Rose asked Mickey.

"He's only where he is because of me," Willow muttered to herself, thinking of the beating she had given him after he had hurt Rose.

"So, where did you two meet this Doctor?" Mickey asked, not even listening to Rose's chatter before or what Willow had said.

"Pardon?" Willow asked him, not sure she had heard him right.

"I'm sorry, wasn't I talking about me for a second?" Rose asked.

"Because I reckon it started back at the shop, am I right? Is he something to do with that?" Mickey asked.

"Yeah, but since when d'you care about how we met the Doctor?" Willow asked her friend, curious about how he was acting. "You didn't before when we were talkin' about meeting Clive…"

"No…." Rose answered Mickey's question, not sounding at all convincing.

"Come on," Mickey said.

"Sort of," Rose admitted.

"What was he doing there?" Mickey asked.

Willow sighed and said, "Saving us. Does it really matter right now, Mickey?"

"We're not going on about him, Mickey, we're not, because I know it sounds daft, but…I don't think he's safe. I think he's dangerous," Rose said, giving a slight grimace.

Willow nodded her head in agreement and said, "I get a bad feeling in my stomach when I'm around him. He's no good and we're staying away and forgetting him like he said."

"But you can trust me sweetheart! Babe, sugar, darling, sugar," Mickey said really quickly, completely disregarding what either girl said entirely.

"What was that?" Willow wondered, looking at Rose, both of them confused and a tad bit frightened.

"You can tell me anything. Tell me about the Doctor and what he's planning and I can help you, Rose, Willow. Because that's all I really wanna do, sweetheart, babe, sugar, sweetheart." Mickey said.

Willow shrank back from him. She knew something was wrong with Mickey. He was acting completely out of character and not like himself at all.

"Why are you doing that for?" Rose asked the question that was on Willow's mind.

"Your champagne," a waiter said, stopping at their small table behind Willow.

"We didn't order any champagne," Mickey said, using both hands to grab one of Rose's and one of Willow's hands tightly. "Where's the Doctor?" he demanded.

The waiter, persistent, walked around the table and directly into Willow's line of sight. She shifted her eyes from Mickey to the waiter's face and was shocked and a bit scared to see it was the Doctor, offering a bottle of champagne to Rose. Willow's terror only increased seeing him.

"Ma'am, your champagne," the Doctor said.

"It's not ours…Mickey what is it? What's wrong?" Rose asked, concerned about her boyfriend.

"I need to find out how much you two know, so where is he?" Mickey demanded again, looking between the two bewildered and scared girls.

"Doesn't anyone want this champagne?" the Doctor asked, slightly disappointed that nobody except Willow had noticed him yet.

"No, we don't want the bloody champagne!" Willow exclaimed, surprising everybody, especially Rose who had never heard Willow have an outburst like that. Willow even surprised herself, as she was usually a quiet person.

"Look, we didn't order i—" Mickey broke off, as he looked up finally and realized that the waiter was in fact the Doctor. "Ah. Gotcha," he said.

The Doctor shook up the bottle of champagne and said, "Don't mind me. I'm just toasting the happy couple and friend. On the house!"

The cork popped out of the bottle, causing Willow to squeak, instinctively covering her face with her hands. The cork, however, didn't even go near her. It hit Mickey directly in the forehead. Actually, it didn't even do that, Willow noticed. The cork absorbed into 'Mickey's' forehead and he spat it back out of his mouth.

"Holy-" Willow managed to squeak out. "What the hell was that?"

"Anyway," 'Mickey' said like it was totally normal for what had just happened. His fist, however, turned into a sort of hammer, and he smashed in into the table, splitting it in half. Willow tried to jump backwards, but only ended up tipping herself backwards in her chair, head over heels.

"Don't think that's gonna stop me," she heard 'Mickey', or the now obvious fake 'Mickey' say. Willow tried to get behind some cover while, at the same time, scramble to her feet.

An alarm started going off and Willow heard Rose shouting, "Everyone out! Out now!"

There was a sudden burst of chaos as everyone in the small pizza parlour started to make for the exit. Willow lost sight of the Doctor, Rose, and 'Mickey' as she got shoved around by panicking people. She heard Rose shout again, "Get out! Get out! Get out!"

Willow was still trying to stand and started as a hand grabbed hers, but she was surprisingly relieved to see that it was the Doctor.

"Run," he told her, yanking her to her feet and to the back of the restaurant through the kitchens where Rose was slightly ahead of them. They took the backdoor from the kitchens and ran out into an empty lot with the fake Mickey still on their tails.

"Why do you have the head?" Willow asked the first thing that had popped into her head, rather calmly for just nearly dying.

The Doctor didn't answer. Instead he took out his silver tube thing with the blue light at the end and put it to the door they had just come through. It made a strange whirling sound and then the Doctor let go of the door, walking away from it.

"What good'll that do?" Willow asked, freaking out a bit more again. "He's gonna come through!"

While Willow was standing in the same spot, reeling from all that had happened, Rose was running around the small lot like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to find an escape route.

"Open the gate!" Rose shouted at the Doctor. "Use that tube thing, come on!"

"What, this? This is a sonic screwdriver," the Doctor answered her.

"Obviously it is!" Willow said sarcastically, finally unfreezing, trying to help Rose find a way out.

"Use it!" Rose screeched, not coping as well to the situation as Willow was.

"Nah," the Doctor said nonchalantly. "Tell you two what, let's go in here." He walked over to a blue police box that was sitting in the lot. Willow did a double-take, not noticing it before. The Doctor pulled out a silver key and unlocked the door. Willow jumped and tore her attention away from the blue box as the fake Mickey was still banging on the door and was starting to make large, noticeable dents in it.

"We can't hide inside a wooden box!" Rose yelled at the Doctor, pointing out the obvious.

"It's too small!" Willow agreed, freaking out. She was starting to think that the Doctor wasn't gonna be able to get them out of the situation. However, she started backing away from the dented door and towards the police box and started subbing the scar on her chin nervously.

"It's gonna get us! Doctor!" Rose yelled. She ran into the police box after the Doctor and Willow followed after her, just like she always did when they were kids. Though she didn't fully trust the Doctor, she knew she had to protect her cousin however she could. Her thoughts were cut short when Willow suddenly ran into Rose's back and fell on her ass.

"Rosie, what'd you stop for? That bloody hur—" Willow broke off in shock as she took in her surroundings. The inside was enormous. The centre console was surrounded by grating on the floor and railing, as well as large coral pillars. It was impossible as well as beautiful.

"Oh, goodness," Willow whispered to herself, as Rose ran past her, back outside. A moment later, Rose reentered, still in a panic.

"It's gonna follow us!" Rose said, while still in shock. Willow finally picked herself up off the ground and stared in awe at the large room that was bathed in green light and packed inside a small, blue police box.

"The assembled hoards of Genghis Khan couldn't get through that door, and believe me, they've tried. Now, shut up a minute," the Doctor said, plugging the head into the console, trying to get a signal.

Willow stepped past Rose and made her way to the console that was in the centre of the room. She lightly ran a hand over a few of the buttons, but didn't press any of them, as the Doctor was eyeing her closely.

"It's impossible," she whispered to herself. "It's like I've seen it before in a dream or something."

The Doctor went on, not minding the two stunned and scared girls.

"You see, the arm is too simple, but the head's perfect. I can use it to trace the signal back to the original source. Right. Where do you want to start?" the Doctor asked, facing both of the girls.

"Um…the inside's bigger than the outside?" Rose said it like it was a question.

"Yes," the Doctor simply said.

"It's alien," Rose spoke again, while Willow just took it all in.

"Yes," the Doctor said again.

"Are you alien?" Rose asked the Doctor.

"Yes," the Doctor said a third time. "It that alright with you two?"

"Yeah," Rose said, rather quickly.

The Doctor looked at Willow expectantly for an answer.

"You're an alien?" Willow repeated Rose's question.

"Yup. One hundred percent alien. Is that alright by you?" the Doctor asked her.

"I guess…" Willow trailed off, sounding unsure and still in slight shock.

"It's called the Tardis, this thing. T-A-R-D-I-S, that's Time and Relative Dimension in Space," the Doctor said, moving on.

Rose let out a small sound that Willow knew was a sob. She walked over, knowing that Rose was thinking about Mickey, and pulled her cousin into a much needed hug. She held in her own tears at the thought of one of her only friends, dead.

"That's okay. Culture shock. Happens to the best of us," the Doctor said, thinking that Rose and Willow were still in shock from seeing the Tardis.

"Did they kill him? Mickey? Did they kill Mickey? Is he dead?" Rose asked, nearly crying.

Willow gave him a fierce glare as he said, "Oh…didn't think of that."

"He's my boyfriend and Willow's friend, too! You pulled off his head—they copied him and you didn't even think? And now you're just going to let him melt?" Rose asked hysterically.

Willow looked at the console and sure enough, the fake Mickey's head was nearly a melted plastic blob.

"Melt?" the Doctor asked, turning around. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no, NO!" He started running around the console and pulled, what seemed to Willow, random levers and buttons.

"What're you doing?" Rose exclaimed.

"Reviving the signal, it's fading! Wait, I've got it…no, no, no, no, no, no, NO!" the Doctor shouted again. The Tardis started shaking all over and Willow grabbed onto the railig that was near her for safety. She then grabbed Rose's arm to make sure she stayed in place as well.

"Almost there! Almost there! Here we go!" the Doctor yelled. Willow noticed that he did a lot of that, yelling and running. She noticed that she also yelled a lot around him, something she rarely did ever. Everything stopped moving suddenly and the Doctor ran past Rose and Willow and out the door without a word to either of them.

"You can't go out there, it's not safe!" Rose yelled after him. After receiving no answer, Rose ran after him.

"Wait, Rosie!" Willow exclaimed, running after her cousin. "You can't just—"

Willow broke off and stopped dead behind her cousin, yet again stunned into silence. They were no longer in the small lot they were before. Now, they were in Central London, next to the Thames.

"We've moved! Does it fly?" Rose asked the Doctor. Willow fully exited the Tardis, pulling the door shut behind her.

"Disappears there, reappears here, you wouldn't understand," the Doctor said.

"But if we're somewhere else, what about the headless thing? It's still on the loose," Rose told him.

"It melted with the head. Are you gonna witter on all night or be nice and quiet like your cousin?" the Doctor asked Rose.

"I'll have to tell his mother," Rose said quietly.

"I'll be there with you," Willow told her cousin, rubbing her arm consolingly. The Doctor looked at the two girls questioningly.

"Mickey! She has to tell his mother that he's dead, you idiot, and you've forgotten about him again!" Willow scolded the Doctor, hugging a very distraught and near crying Rose to her chest. The Doctor just rolled his eyes. Willow narrowed her eyes and let go of Rose. She strode up to the Doctor and slapped him, right across the face.

Rose gasped as Willow had never used violence before. Willow had felt the strange anger building up inside of her as she wanted to protect her family and friends and the Doctor blew her off. If one word could be used to describe Willow Tyler, Rose would've chosen loyal and the Doctor just seemed to bring out the worst in Willow.

"Now, you listen here, 'Doctor'. DO NOT roll your eyes at me like that. Someone has died, and he was close to Rose and me. You, you-" Willow was so angry, a foreign thing to her, that she couldn't even form her words properly. The Doctor looked bewildered beyond belief.

"You were right, you ARE alien," Rose said, and turned to walk away, Willow right behind her.

"Look," the Doctor finally said, "if I did forget some kid called Mickey—"

"Yeah, he's not a kid," Rose defended Mickey.

"It's because I'm trying to save every _stupid_ ape blundering on top of this planet, alight?" the Doctor asked, getting defensive.

"Alright!" Rose exclaimed.

"Yes, it is!" the Doctor said.

"No, it's not!" Willow nearly screeched, having enough of this man. Yet, there was something strange about him that drew her in, that made her curious. She was also just short of pulling her hair out of her head.

"If you're an alien, how come you sound like you're from the North?" Rose asked. Willow looked at her cousin with a confused look on her face, her eyebrows furrowed. Of all the questions to ask, that was the one she was going with? How about: 'What happened to Mickey?' 'Where did the plastic mannequins take their friend?'

"Lots of planets have a North," the Doctor answered, folding his arms over his chest, still defensive.

"What's a police call box?" Rose asked.

"It's a telephone box from the 1950s. It's a disguise," the Doctor said, grinning and patting the side of the Tardis. Rose and Willow both smiled, Willow now feeling calmed down. She took a deep breath and exhaled the anger.

"Okay. And this living plastic, what's it got against us?" Rose asked.

"Nothing, it loves you," the Doctor said. "You've got such a good planet. Lots of smoke and oil, plenty of toxins and dioxins in the air…perfect. Just what the Nestine Consciousness needs. It's food stock was destroyed in the war, all of its protein plants rotted, so Earth…dinner."

"Any way of stopping it?" Rose asked.

The Doctor grinned his goofy grin and pulled a tube of glowing blue substance out of his jacket pocket.

"Anti-plastic," he said, still grinning.

"Anti-plastic?" Willow asked, befuddled. What on earth was anti-plastic?

"Anti-plastic! But first I've got to find it. How can you hide something that big in a city this small?" the Doctor said, almost talking to himself.

"Hold on, hide what?" Rose asked.

"The transmitter," the Doctor said. "The Consciousness is controlling every single piece of plastic so it needs a transmitter to boost the signal."

"What's it look like?" Rose asked.

"Like a transmitter. Round and massive, slap-bang in the middle of London," the Doctor said, as he started pacing. "A huge circular metal structure…like a dish…" He turned to face Rose and Willow. Still facing them, he walked over to the railing. Behind him, the London Eye stood big, tall, and very round, like a dish. "…like a wheel. Close to where we're standing. Must be _completely_ invisible," the Doctor continued on.

Rose and Willow looked at each other and then at the London Eye. Willow wondered how someone so smart could be so daft.

"What?" the Doctor asked them.

Both Rose and Willow nodded their heads in the direction of the London Eye, as if it were obvious, which it was. The Doctor, turned to look behind him, but didn't really see what they were indicating to.

"What?" he asked again.

Rose shook her head and Willow snorted quietly, but both girls continued to stare at the London Eye.

"What is it? What?" the Doctor asked, still totally clueless. Both of the girls still stared at the Ferris Wheel, and Willow rolled her eyes. She thought that this man was supposed to be a genius. The Doctor turned and looked again at the London Eye before it finally dawned on him.

"Oh!" he exclaimed quietly. He turned around to Rose and Willow and grinned like a maniac. "Fantastic!" he said happily before he started running off with Rose and Willow following after him.

The three of them ran through the streets of London, until they arrived at the London Bridge, with the Doctor holding one of Rose's hands and one of Willow's. Willow thought she was almost being electrocuted from the Doctor's hand as they ran across the bridge to the base of the London Eye.

"Think of it. Plastic, all over the world. Every artificial thing waiting to come alive. The shop window dummies, the phones, the wires, the cable…" the Doctor said, letting go of the girls' hands. Willow rubbed her still tingling hand and looked at it , wondering why it was feeling like that.

"The breast implants…" Rose said, causing Willow to giggle quietly to herself.

"Now, isn't that a scary thought?" Willow said, still chuckling. The cousins shared a grin.

"Still, we've found the transmitter. The Consciousness must be somewhere underneath," the Doctor explained to Rose and Willow.

Rose suddenly had an idea and ran opposite where they were standing, dragging Willow behind her, over to a manhole entrance at the foot of a wall below them.

"What about down here?" Rose yelled out to the Doctor, who had still been thinking and hadn't noticed the girls wandering off. He ran over to join them.

"Looks good to me," he said, grinning at the girls' brilliance, which surprised him, since they were both apes. The three of them ran down the stairs, with the Doctor leading them, and holding Rose's hand. Willow was behind Rose, holding her cousin's hand. She didn't particularly want to hold the Doctor's hand again anytime soon. The Doctor lifted the manhole cover so that the three of them could climb down. A red light and smoke came out of the hole in the ground.

"Holy smokes," Willow breathed and the Doctor looked at her and grinned at her pun.

The Doctor led the way down, climbing the ladder into the manhole, with Rose and Willow following behind him. Willow was glad she had decided to wear jeans and sensible shoes that day, instead of her normal skirts and dresses she usually liked to wear.

Down the sewer passageway, the Doctor opened a door that led to another very large chamber. They went down a set of stairs and the Doctor pointed to a very large, orange, blobbing mass in the middle of the chamber.

"The Nestine Consciousness, that's it, inside that vat. A living, plastic creature," the Doctor informed the two girls.

"Well, then. Tip in your anti-plastic and let's go," Rose said, ready for the strange day to be over.

"Rose, you heard him. That's a living creature down there," Willow said, horrified at what Rose was suggesting. While she wasn't a vegetarian, Willow was against animal cruelty or murder and that included aliens that were trying to take over the planet, too.

"I'm not here to kill it, Willow, don't worry," the Doctor said, causing Willow to give a sigh of relief. "I've got to give it a chance."

They went down another set of stairs, closer to the plastic and the Doctor leaned over the railing and started yelling, "I seek audience with the Nestine Consciousness under peaceful contract. According to convention fifteen of the Shadow Proclamation."

The large blob of plastic wiggled around a bit and made a growling noise.

"Thank you. That I might have permission to approach," the Doctor said.

Rose disappeared from Willow's side as she spotted Mickey. Willow caught the Doctor rolling his eyes and glared at him.

"Oh, my gosh! Mickey! It's okay! It's alright!" Rose exclaimed. Willow raced over to both of her friends, crouched and hugged her missing friend.

"Mickey! You're okay! We thought you were dead!" Willow cried out.

"That think down there, the liquid, Rose, Willow—it can talk!" Mickey said.

"You're stinking! Doctor, they kept him alive!" Rose exclaimed to the Doctor.

"Yeah, that was always a possibility. Keep him alive to maintain the copy," the Doctor said.

"What?!" Willow said, stunned that he knew that but let herself and Rose think that their friend was dead.

"You knew that and you never said?" Rose asked, not believing it.

"Can we keep the domestics outside? Thank you," the Doctor said.

Rose grabbed Mickey's left arm and Willow stood up and grabbed Mickey's right arm and the girls helped Mickey to his feet. The Doctor ignored them and approached the Consciousness.

"Am I addressing the Consciousness? (Growl) Thank you. If I might observe, you infiltrated this civilization by means of a warped, shunt technology. So, may I suggest, with the greatest respect, that you shove off?" the Doctor told the blob. It growled back at them and Willow assumed it was a 'no' and furrowed her eyebrows.

"Oh, don't give me that, it's an invasion! Plain and simple! Don't talk about constitutional rights!" the Doctor ranted at the blob.

Willow edged up to stand behind the Doctor to see what was happening (curiosity got the better of her), but stepped back when the plastic reared back and roared again, sounding angry.

"I. Am. Talking!" the Doctor yelled out, startling Willow. She stepped back again, frightened. "This planet is just starting. These stupid little people have only just learnt how to walk, but they're capable of so much more. I'm asking you on their behalf—please, just go."

As Willow was still stepping backwards, she didn't notice the three mannequins come up behind her and the Doctor. One grabbed her arms and held them behind her back tightly. The other two each grabbed one of the Doctor's arms.

"Let go of me!" Willow demanded.

"Willow! Doctor!" Rose yelled.

"Rosie, run!" Willow exclaimed to her cousin.

"No! Not without you!" Rose cried.

The mannequins grabbed the Doctor, and one grabbed the anti-plastic out of his jacket pocket.

"That was just insurance! I wasn't gonna USE it!" the Doctor cried out. The plastic made another angry noise. The mannequin tightened its grip on Willow, causing her to cry out in pain. "I was not attacking you. I'm here to help. I'm not your enemy. I swear, I'm not…(growl) what do you mean?" the Doctor asked.

Doors opened up across from them to reveal the Tardis, escorted by more mannequins.

"Oh, oh, no—honestly, no! (growl) Yes, that's my ship!" the Doctor argued with the blob. The plastic roared again. If Willow had her hands free, she would have covered her ears, it was that loud. "That's not true. I should know, I was there. I fought in the war—it wasn't my fault! I couldn't save your world! I couldn't save any of them!" the Doctor yelled to the blob.

"What's it doing?" Rose asked.

"It's the Tardis! The Nestine had identified its superior technology—it's terrified! It's going to the final base. It's starting the invasion! Get out, Rose! Go with her, Willow! Just leg it! Now!" the Doctor insisted.

"Well, I would if I could," Willow said, rather calmly. "Just run, Rose!" she said to her cousin.

"Mum?" Willow heard Rose yell out and she panicked.

"Where's Aunt Jackie?" Willow asked, trying to look around for her aunt, but was unable to.

"She's not here," the Doctor clarified for her. "Rose isn't listening to me! She's on her mobile! Why do you stupid apes never listen?"

"Rude!" Willow scolded him.

"Mum?" Rose said again.

"Oh, there you are," Jackie said from the other end of the mobile. "I was just gonna phone. You _can_ get compensation. I said so. I've got this document thing off the police—don't thank me!"

"Where are you, Mum?" Rose asked.

"I'm in town!" Jackie said.

"Go home! Just go home, right now!" Rose insisted, panicking.

"Darling, you're breaking up. Look, I'm just going to do a bit of late night shopping. I'll see you late," Jackie said, hanging up.

"Mum? Mum?!" Rose yelled, really starting to worry about her mum.

"What's happening?" Willow asked, as something suddenly changed in the room.

"It's the activation signal! It's transmitting!" the Doctor said.

"The end of the world…" Rose trailed off.

"Get out, Rose! Just get out! Run! I'll try to save Willow, you just go!" the Doctor exclaimed.

Part of the ceiling fell in and Willow let out a bit of a scream, terrified.

"Rose, just run!" she yelled. "I love you, now go! Please, just save yourself and Mickey!"

"The stairs have gone!" Rose yelled back. She and Mickey tried to get into the Tardis, but it was locked. "I haven't got the key!" she yelled.

"We're gonna die!" Mickey whimpered.

Willow desperately tried to get loose of the mannequin, but it only tugged painfully on her arms and wrists.

"Get the anti-plastic, Willow!" the Doctor yelled to her.

"I can't!" Willow cried out. "I'd have to get rid of this idiot first! I can't get loose! I'm sorry, Doctor!"

"Just leave them!" Willow heard Mickey yell to Rose. "There's nothing you can do!"

Willow still struggled as she heard something that sounded like chain rattling and then she heard Rose shout, "I got the bronze!"

Rose then came into Willow's view, swinging over the gap and the Consciousness on a chain. She kicked the mannequins over that had been holding the Doctor and knocked them into the Nestine Consciousness below, along with the anti-plastic. The Nestine Consciousness started to scream and writhe about, as if it were in pain (Willow imagined it was). Rose landed safely in the Doctor's arms on the other side of the gap.

"A little help, if it's not too much trouble!" Willow said nervously to the two.

"Now we're in trouble," the Doctor said. "C'mon, let's get Willow and get out of here."

The Doctor and Rose ran over towards Willow and the Doctor punched the now dead mannequin that was still holding tightly onto Willow's arms and then grabbed her hand after she was loose. Willow's hand tingled again as the Doctor pulled her along with him and Rose, Mickey following them, in a panic.

The four of them ran until they finally reached the Tardis. The Doctor unlocked the door with his key and they ran inside. Willow collapsed on the pilot seat next to the console, panting. The Doctor was rushing around the console, pushing, pulling, and twisting various knobs and buttons. There was a small thump and then a freaked out Mickey ran backwards out of the Tardis.

Willow immediately hopped off the seat and followed Rose, whom had followed Mickey out of the Tardis. When she exited, Mickey was sitting against a wall on the ground, totally panicking and Rose was on her mobile with Jackie, ignoring him. Willow walked over and gave Mickey a quick pat on the shoulder, but suddenly gasped as Mickey grabbed her hand and hugged it to his chest.

"Rose! Rose! Don't go out of the house, it's not safe!" Jackie exclaimed as soon as she answered the phone. Rose just laughed as Jackie said, "There were all of these things! And they were shooting! And they—"

Rose just shook her head and hung up, smiling. She then walked over to Mickey and Willow, knowing that her mum, was safe. Mickey was still clutching onto Willow's hand tightly, whimpering.

"A fat lot of good you were! You wanted me to just leave Willow behind! She did better than you did!" Rose scolded her boyfriend. Mickey let out another whimper, hugging Willow's whole arm now, making her crouch down beside him. The Doctor stood in the doorway of the Tardis, watching the three of them.

"Nestine Consciousness?" he said, snapping his fingers. "Easy."

Rose had a teasing look on her face as she told the Doctor, "You were useless in there. You'd be dead if it wasn't for me."

"Yes, I would. Thank you," the Doctor said sincerely. "Right, then! I'll be off! Unless, uh…I don't know…you two could come with me," he said, looking at Rose and Willow. "This box isn't just a London hopper, you know, it goes anywhere in the universe, free of charge.

"Don't! He's an alien! He's a thing!" Mickey shouted, nearly in Willow's ear. She pulled her arm away from him, crossing them over her chest after rubbing her ear and glared at her friend slightly.

"He's _not_ invited," the Doctor said, also glaring at the young man. "What do you think? You both could stay here and fill your lives with work and food and sleep, or you could go, uh, anywhere."

"Wait," Willow said, bewildered. "You mean me? Not Mickey and Rose, but me and Rose?"

"Yeah," the Doctor said. "I _was_ talking and looking at you."

"Yeah, well, I thought you was talking about Mickey," Willow said, shrugging.

The Doctor snorted and said, "Why would I want him?"

"Is it always this dangerous?" Rose asked suddenly.

The Doctor nodded and said, "Yeah."

Mickey put his arms around Rose's legs then and looked like a scared little kid.

"Yeah, I can't…I've, um…gotta go and find my mum and um…someone's gotta look after this stupid lump…and Willow…so…" Rose trailed off, looking unsure.

"Okay. What about you, Willow?" the Doctor asked, looking hopeful.

"Oh, um…I don't know…it sounds…um, interesting, but um…I don't think I can," Willow stuttered. "And…and my family….I can't leave them…"

"Okay, see you around," the Doctor said, sounding disappointed. Both Willow and

Rose stared at the Doctor, neither of them believing him. He closed the door to the Tardis and the blue ship started to disappear in front of their eyes. Willow watched it with wide eyes, wondering where she had heard the sound before. It was from her past or a dream, she knew that much. Then, the ship was gone, as if it had never been there in the first place.

"C'mon, let's go," Rose said. Mickey was still in the same place, shocked and staring where the Tardis had been. "C'mon. Come on," Rose said as she and Willow helped Mickey to his feet again. The three of them began to walk away with Willow tailing behind the couple. The whirling sound of the Tardis filled her ears again and she whirled back around to the Tardis materialize. The Doctor popped his head out of the door.

"By the way, did I mention it also travels in time?" the Doctor said. He grinned at Rose and Willow and went back in the Tardis, leaving the door open. Rose and Willow gave each other a look, both knowing that the other was going to join the Doctor in the Tardis. Rose turned to Mickey and said, "Thanks."

"Thanks for what?" Mickey asked.

"Exactly," Rose said. She kissed his cheek and ran into the Tardis, grabbing Willow's hand along the way, the both of the smiling hugely.

"Bye, Mickey!" Willow called out over her shoulder. She hopped that by travelling with the Doctor, she would get the answers to the questions that had been plaguing her mind all day, such as why the Tardis had looked so damn familiar to her when she had never stepped in it before that day. Her smile faded slightly and a determined looked entered her eyes as the Tardis doors closed behind her.


	2. The End of the World

**The End of the World**

Willow Tyler followed her cousin, Rose, into the strange and mysterious Tardis. Willow wasn't sure if it was a wild hair or the odd pull she felt towards the alien that wore a leather jacket and a jumper that made her abandon all she knew to travel in time and space. Both girls had entered the Tardis with a sense of awe and joined the Doctor by the console to journey to their first adventure elsewhere and when.

"Right then, Rose Tyler and Willow Tyler—you tell me, where do you want to go? Backwards or forwards in time. What's it going to be?" the Doctor asked, clearly excited.

"Forwards," both Rose and Willow said at the same time after looking at each other for a second. They had gotten good at reading each other after being best friends, as well as cousins, for most of their lives. The Doctor pressed a few random buttons and pulled a few levers and asked, "How far?"

"One hundred years," Rose said immediately, eager.

The Doctor pulled a lever and turned a knob, causing the whole ship to shake almost violently. Willow gave a slight shriek and smiled at the sensation.

"There you go, step outside those doors, it's the twenty-second century," the Doctor said, clearly showing off.

"You're kidding," Rose said, stunned. Willow's jaw dropped in amazement and wonder. What was the future like in a hundred years, after she was already dead?

"That's a bit boring though. Do you want to go further?" the Doctor asked, still thinking he was impressive, which to Rose and Willow, he was.

"Fine by me!" Rose said.

"Me, too!" Willow said, after picking her jaw up, figuratively of course.

The Tardis moved again and then stopped. The Doctor looked at the girls when they finally stopped. Rose and Willow were hanging on tightly, but looking very excited, with a slight bit of nervousness added in.

"Ten thousand years in the future. Step outside, it's the year 12005, the New Roman Empire," the Doctor said.

Rose teased the Doctor and said, "You think you're so impressive."

"He doesn't think, he knows," Willow said quietly, also teasing. "Can't you see his massive head?"

"I _am_ so impressive!" the Doctor said, grinning cheekily at both of them.

"Told you so," Willow said, then blushed a little when the Doctor winked at her. _What the hell was that?_ she thought to herself. She had never had a boyfriend of any sort before, so she didn't really know how to act around me, beside Mickey, of course. What was this feeling that she had in the pit of her stomach? Was it from fear of how dangerous this man that called himself the Doctor was or perhaps a crush that was beginning to form? Willow was unsure and decided to talk to Rose about it later.

"You wish!" Rose said.

"Right then, you both asked for it. I know exactly where to go. Hold on!" the Doctor said.

The Tardis moved again and Willow had to grab hold of something so she wouldn't fall over. She flushed like a tomato when she realized that it was the Doctor's arm. As soon as the Tardis was steady again, she let go of her arm as if it were on fire. The Doctor didn't even seem to notice she had grabbed his arm and went about business as normal (for him). Willow hid her arms behind her back, trying to ignore the tingling that ran up and down it, as well as the fluttering in her heart. She shook her head quickly, focusing on where and when they were.

"Where are we?" Rose asked, curious.

The Doctor just gestured towards the door. Both Rose and Willow grinned at each other in excitement before both taking off and racing for the door. They stood in front of the Doctor, looking up at him, eyes shining.

"What's out there?" Rose asked.

"When are we?" Willow asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.

The Doctor just gestured to the door again. Rose and Willow playfully pushed each other out of the way and stepped outside the door, Rose first, and then Willow. Willow gasped as she found herself in a large room that was lined with wood on the walls. The Doctor followed her and Rose pulling out his sonic screwdriver. He opened giant shutters over an equally large window. Willow walked down the stairs to the ground level, mouth gaping open and looked down on planet Earth, Rose right beside her and the Doctor tailing behind them.

"It's so beautiful," Willow whispered, a single tear escaping her eyes at the sheer beauty of it.

"You lot. You spend all your time thinking about dying. Like you're going to get killed by eggs or beef or global warming or asteroids. But you never take time to imagine the impossible. Maybe you survive. This is the year 5.5/apple/26. Five billion years in your future. This is the day...hold on..." the Doctor looked down at his watch for a moment. "This is the day the sun expands. Welcome to the end of the world," the Doctor said.

Willow's eyes grew very large at the sight before them. The Earth was going to die. Right in front of them. She was going to watch her home planet burn. She exchanged a look of horror with Rose and then turned back around, closing her eyes.

"Are you alright?" a voice asked in her ear, making her jump. She turned her head quickly to see the Doctor standing right next to her.

"Yeah…I'll be fine. I just…need a moment," Willow said in a faint voice.

"Understandable," the Doctor said, nodding. "Well, come on. This way."

The Doctor, Rose, and Willow walked out of the room and down a corridor of what the Doctor informed them was called Platform One. Overhead, from a speaker in the ceiling, a voice said, "Shuttles 5 and 6 now docking. Guests are reminded that platform 1 forbids the use of weapons, teleportation and religion. Earth Death is scheduled for 15:39, followed by drinks in the Manchester Suite."

"So, when it says 'guests' does that mean people?" Rose asked, curious, but also scared of the idea of more aliens.

"Depends on what you mean by people," the Doctor said, as if hardly mattered to him and was no big deal.

"I mean people. What do you mean?" Rose asked.

"Aliens," the Doctor said.

"What sort of aliens?" Willow asked in curiosity.

"What are they doing on boards this spaceship? What's it all for?" Rose asked.

The Doctor opened a door with his sonic screwdriver and rolled his eyes at what seemed like twenty million questions coming from the two very curious human girls.

"It's not really a spaceship. More like an observation deck. The great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn," the Doctor said. "And all different kinds of aliens. You'll just have to wait and see."

"What for?" Rose asked.

"And why?" Willow asked.

"Fun," the Doctor answered both of them.

They entered into the next room, which was another observation gallery. Willow looked around in total wonder of being so far in the future. She wanted to take it all in and remember it forever. It was beautiful and strange and…and…alien.

"Mind you, when I said the great and the good, what I mean is, the rich," the Doctor clarified.

"But, hold on, they did this once on 'Newsround Extra'-the sun expanding—that takes hundreds of years," Rose said.

"Millions. But the planet's now property of the National Trust. They've been keeping is preserved. See down there?" The Doctor pointed to the window at tiny glints of lights orbiting the Earth. "Gravity satellite. That's holding back the sun."

"But...why?" Willow whispered, scared and a bit horrified.

"The planet looks the same as ever. I thought the continents shifted and things," Rose said, pointing out a fact that Willow had missed.

"They did," the Doctor said. "And the trust shifted them back. That's a classic Earth. But now the money's run out, nature takes over!"

"How long has it got?" Rose asked, a bit of fear in her voice.

The Doctor looked at his watch and said, "About half an hour. And the planet gets roasted."

"It seems cruel," Willow said, thinking of the planet and people below that would die.

"Is that why we're here? I mean, is that what you do? Jump in at the last minute and save the Earth?" Rose asked, staring to freak out just a bit.

"I'm not saving it," the Doctor said. "Time's up."

"But what about the people?" Rose asked, horrified at that thought of a lot of people dying.

"It's empty! They're all gone. All left," the Doctor said.

"But all the animals and plants…!" Willow exclaimed, equally horrified.

"All died up already," the Doctor explained.

Rose and Willow looked out the window at their beloved planet. Willow felt a swirl of emotions inside, looking down at the blue and green Earth. The ones she felt most were sadness and a bit of anger, as well as hopelessness.

"Just me and Willow then," Rose said sadly.

"Who the hell are you?" a voice asked behind them. Both Willow and Rose whipped around in surprise at the sudden appearance of a person. Willow's eyes widened at the sight of the short blue man that was standing in the doorway. It was an alien. A real, proper alien, she thought.

"Oh! That's nice, thanks," the Doctor said, sarcastically.

"But how did you get in?" the blue alien asked. "This is a maximum hospitality zone. The guests have disembarked! They're on their way any second now!"

"That's me, I'm a guest, look! I've got an invitation!" the Doctor said. He dug around in his pockets and pulled out a small wallet-looking thing. "Look, there you see? It's fine, see? The Doctor plus two. I'm the Doctor, this is Rose Tyler, and Willow Tyler. They're my plus two. That all right?"

"Well, obviously," the steward said. The Doctor grinned. "Apologies, et cetera. If you're onboard, we'd better start. Enjoy."

The Doctor nodded at the steward and the steward walked off. The Doctor showed Rose and Willow the paper he had showed the steward. It was blank to Willow, who looked at it with furrowed eyebrows, wondering what it really said.

"The paper's slightly psychic. Shows them whatever I want them to see. Saves a lot of time," the Doctor explained to the girls.

"It's blank," Willow said, handing the psychic paper back to the Doctor.

"What?" he asked, stunned and Willow just nodded at him.

"He's blue," Rose said about the steward.

"Yeah," the Doctor said, still looking at Willow in amazement.

"Okay..." Rose said, not exactly sure.

"This is so weird," Willow said, still reeling from the encounter with the blue alien.

The steward was now speaking into a microphone that sounded from the speakers in the ceilings.

"We have in attendance, the Doctor, Rose Tyler, and Willow Tyler. Thank you! All staff to their positions." He clapped his hands and a lot of little blue people started scurrying around.

"Hurry now! Thank you, as quick as we can! Come along, come along! And now, might I introduce the next honoured guest, representing the forest of Cheem, we have Trees. Namely, Jabe, Lute, and Coffa."

Three tree-like creatures walked through the door and Willow's eyes widened, looking at the beautiful trees that walked with grace and poise.

"Those are trees," Willow whispered in wonder.

"There will be an exchange of gifts representing peace. If you can keep the room circulating, thank-you. Next, from the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, the Moxx of Balhoon" the steward announced.

Willow was just as confused as Rose looked, while the Doctor just grinned. The observation platform was now almost flooded with aliens of all shapes and sizes, as well as colours. Willow felt suddenly lightheaded and realized she had been holding her breath and took a deep, shaky breath.

"And next, from Financial Family Seven, we have the Adhrents of the Repeated Meme," the steward said.

The Doctor laughed at the expressions on Rose's and Willow's faces, which was shock and amazement.

"The inventors of hyoslip travel systems, the brothers Hop Pyleen. Thank you!" the steward said.

More aliens entered into the Suite, making Willow feel slightly sick at the shock at all of this. She had to start breathing deeply to keep from hyperventilating. She didn't know where to look, it was all too much to take in, all the aliens.

"Cal 'Spark Plug'. Mr. and Mrs. Pakoo. The Ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light," the steward continued.

Jabe, one of the Trees, approached the Doctor, Willow, and Rose. On either side of her, was the two other Trees, holding plant trays with little green plant shoots in them. Willow stared at the tree, her eyes wide in amazement.

"You're beautiful," Willow blurted out to Jabe, then flushed a deep red.

"Thank you, dear. The Gift of Peace," Jabe said, looking in amusement at Willow and then turned her gaze back to the Doctor. She took one of the little shoots and handed it to the Doctor. "I bring you a cutting of my Grandfather."

"Thank you!" the Doctor said. He handed the sprout to Rose. "Yes, gifts...erm..."

The Doctor cleared his throat and started patting down his jacket for something to give, but he found nothing. Willow quickly darted her hand into her pocket and found a couple Tootsie Rolls from a few days before. She handed one to Jabe with a shaky hand, still a bright red.

"I give you in return, air from my lungs," the Doctor said, and blew into Jabe's face and the tree closed her eyes.

"How...intimate," Jabe purred.

"There's more where that came from," the Doctor said, flirtingly. Willow felt something constrict in her chest. It was an odd sort of pain that didn't make any sense to her. Rose just looked confused at the Doctor's flirting. The man didn't seem like the type to flirt to her.

"I bet there is..." Jabe suggestively back and Willow flushed at the comment.

"Sponsor of the main event, please welcome the Face of Boe," the steward announced.

The next alien that came in was wheeled in. The Face of Boe was literally a giant face (and head) in a large tank. The alien that was introduced as the Moxx of Balhoon approached the Doctor, Willow and Rose. This alien was also blue with a very tall pointy-ish head. Willow was trying very hard not to stare, but was failing greatly.

"The Moxx of Balhoon," the Doctor greeted.

"My felicitations on this historical happenstance. I give you the gift of bodily saliva," the Moxx of Balhoon said and then spat into both Rose's and Willow's faces and hovered off on his little craft.

"Thank you very much," the Doctor said, laughing at the disgusted expressions on the girls' faces.

Willow rubbed the spit out of her face with her shirt sleeve, trying not to be sick at the thought of an alien's spit going in her mouth or nose.

"Ah! The Adherents of the Repeated Meme. I bring you air from my lungs," the Doctor said, blowing on the Adherent. Willow also handed over a Tootsie Roll to the alien, not sure if aliens liked chocolate, or was even sure if they knew what it was.

"A gift of peace in all good faith," the Adherent said. He held out a large silver egg, which the Doctor took, threw up in the air, caught it and passed it back to Willow, who took it, looking at it curiously.

"And last but not least, out very special guest. Ladies and Gentlemen, and Trees and Multiforms. Consider the Earth below. In memory of this dying world, we call forth The Last Human," the steward announced.

Willow trained her eyes on the door to see the last human, but was disappointed to see what appeared to be a vertical trampoline. It reminded her of when she was little, in school, and they had learned about the American Indians. It looked like animal skin hanging up on a rack, except it had a mouth, eyes, and wore lipstick. Willow wrinkled her nose in disgust at the sight of the 'Last Human.' This grossed her out more than the alien spit ever could.

"The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen," the steward announced.

"Oh, now, don't stare. I know, I know it's shocking, isn't it? I've had my chin completely taken away and look at the difference! Look at how thin I am," Lady Cassandra said proudly.

Willow, along with Rose, was staring at the transparent skin in shock and disgust, while the Doctor laughed quietly.

"Thin and dainty! I don't look a day over two thousand. Moisturize me, moisturize me," she continued. One of the men that had wheeled her in the room grabbed what looked like a plant sprayer and sprayed it onto Lady Cassandra.

"Truly, I am The Last Human," Lady Cassandra said.

Willow took a few creeping steps forward with Rose to get a better look. She took cautious baby steps, not sure if she even wanted to get closer to this skin.

"My father was a Texan. My mother was from the Arctic Desert. They were born on the Earth and were the last to be buried in the soil," she continued.

Willow took Rose's hand in her own as they walked to the other side of Lady Cassandra, to see another angle of her. She was completely flat. Literally just skin with veins flowing everywhere. _It's nasty_, Willow thought to herself. She'd rather be dead than ever do something to herself like that.

"I have come to honour them and..." Cassandra started sniffing, "...say goodbye. Oh, no tears. No tears. I'm sorry. But behold! I bring gifts. From Earth itself—the last remaining ostrich egg."

One of the staff came in through the door, carrying the egg and displayed it for everyone to see. Willow looked at it with wide eyes. It didn't look too much like an ostrich egg, but then again, Willow had never seen one in person before, so she couldn't be sure.

"Legend says it had a wingspan of fifty feet and blew fire from its nostrils," Cassandra said.

Both Rose and Willow looked confused and bewildered at the description of an ostrich, and then Willow had to hide a small smile, when Lady Cassandra said, "Or was that my third husband?"

Rose rolled her eyes at the terrible joke and the Doctor laughed, amused by it.

"Who knows! Oh don't laugh. I'll get laughter lines!" Lady Cassandra said. She laughed and mumbled to herself for a little bit. Behind Cassandra, a staff member rolled in a large jukebox.

"And here, another rarity. According to the archives, this was called an iPod. It stores classical music from humanity's greatest composers," Lady Cassandra said.

Willow pulled her own purple iPod out of her jacket pocket, and compared it to the large jukebox, hiding a smirk and a giggle. Apparently, the Lady Cassandra had her facts wrong. That, or she was just feeding these people lies about these objects.

"Play on!" Lady Cassandra ordered.

One of the staff members pressed a button and a record fell into place. The 'iPod' a.k.a. Jukebox, started playing 'Tainted Love' by Soft Cell. Willow tapped her foot and sang along under her breath. She loved this song. Jackie had told her that her parents had always played this song, especially after it had come out, so it made tears come to her eyes at the sound of the tune. She really missed her parents, even though she didn't remember them all too well anymore.

"Refreshments will now be served. Earth Death in 30 minutes," the steward said.

Rose looked lost and Willow had tears running down her cheeks, trying to adjust to all the change, but was failing. Rose rushed from the room, pulling Willow, who gladly joined her. The Doctor tried to follow the two girls, but was cornered by Jabe.

"Doctor?" she said, and snapped a photo of him. "Thank you."

The Doctor continued on to find Rose and Willow, who was too far ahead of him for him to find them. He had an idea of where they went and headed back to where he had parked the Tardis.

Meanwhile, Rose had dragged a quietly sobbing Willow to another part of the ship. Willow tried to get herself under control and realized that she wasn't crying about the song anymore. The shock was finally setting in after witnessing all the aliens. Rose went to look out the window at the sun, also trying to pull herself back together. Willow started to wipe her tears away and jumped when she heard Rose say, "Sorry, are we allowed to be in here?"

There was a little blue alien that was looking around like it was uncomfortable. Willow tried to get it together and wiped her remaining tears away quickly, looking at the alien. She sent it a small smile and a nervous wave.

"You have to give us permission to talk," the alien said.

"Uh...you...have permission...?" Rose said, like it was a question.

"Thank you! And, no. You're not in the way. Guests are allowed anywhere," the alien said, appreciative of them.

"'Kay," Rose said, while Willow just watched, still wide-eyed.

The alien went over to a panel and entered a few buttons. Rose watched the alien female in curiosity and asked, "What's your name?"

"Raffalo," the alien answered.

"Raffalo?" Rose asked.

"Yes, Miss. I won't be long, I've just got to carry out some maintenance," Raffalo said.

"You're fine, Raffalo," Willow said quietly, just taking in the weirdness of it all.

Raffalo smiled and nodded at Willow and then knelt in front of an air vent.

"There's a tine little glitch in the Face of Boe suite. There must be something blocking the system—he's not getting any hot water," Raffalo explained to the two confused human.

"So, you're a plumber?" Rose asked in curiosity.

"That's right, Miss," Ruffalo said.

"They still have plumbers?" Rose asked.

"I hope so! Else I'm out of a job!" Ruffalo said with a slight laugh.

Rose laughed, and Willow joined in, still cleaning her face from the tears. She hoped her eyes didn't look too puffy and red.

"Where are you from?" Rose asked.

"Crespallion," Raffalo said.

"That's a planet, is it?" Rose asked.

"No, Crespallion's part of the Jaggit Brocade, affiliated to the Scarlet Juction, Convex 56. And where are you two from, Misses? If you don't mind me asking," Raffalo asked.

"No! Not at all. Erm...I dunno, we're from a long way away. We just sort of, hitched a life with this man. We didn't even think about it...We don't even know who he is...he's a complete stranger," Rose said, not really thinking about what she was saying.

"It's all very complicated," Willow told the blue alien.

Raffalo looked worried for the two women, but Rose snapped herself out of the small trance she was in.

"Anyway, don't let us keep you. Good luck with it!" Rose started walking away, pulling Willow by her hand, ready to lead her out of the room.

"Thank you, Misses. And...thank you for the permission. Not many people are that considerate," Raffalo said, grateful.

Rose smiled at Raffalo, and said, "'Kay. See you later."

Rose left the room and walked down the hall with Willow behind her.

"Are you alright, Willie?" Rose asked, concerned for her cousin.

"Yeah, Rosie, I'm fine. It was 'Tainted Love' at first (Rose nodded her head in understanding). And then, it was just this whole situation. Everything came crashing in together and shock took over. D'you know what I mean?" Willow asked her cousin, needing her to understand.

"Yeah, I do," Rose said. She went over and gave her cousin a much needed hug. The two girls went and sat on the steps of the viewing gallery. Rose had taken the egg that the Doctor had handed Willow and they went about, tossing it in the air to each other and catching it. A computer voice sounded in the room. "Earth Death in 25 minutes. Earth Death in 25 minutes."

"Oh, thanks," Rose said sarcastically to the computer.

Rose tossed the egg back to Willow, who murmured a thanks and went about examining it while Rose picked up the cutting of Jabe's grandfather.

"Hello! My name's Rose. That's a sort of plant. We might be related..." Rose said.

Willow giggled quietly at her cousin. _We're both losing it,_ Willow thought to herself. She was looking at the shiny egg-shaped orb, while Rose was talking to a tree…all while in space with a time and space traveling alien that had big ears and wore a leather jacket. No, not bizarre at all…note the sarcasm.

"Rose, you're talking to a plant," Willow said, stating the obvious. Rose suddenly realized just that and put the plant down as quickly as she could, causing Willow to giggle quietly again. Willow set the egg down behind her, bored of looking at it.

Willow was off in her own world, thinking of life and family, and jumped (and gasped loudly) when she heard the Doctor's voice call out, "Rose? Willow? Are you two in there?"

The Doctor came through the door and said, "Aye aye!"

He sat down on the steps by Willow (her heart rate picked up again and her stomach made a whooshing motion) and said, "What do you two think, then?"

"Great! Yeah...fine. Once you get past the slightly psychic paper..." Rose said, unsure of what else to say, making the Doctor laugh.

"It's very weird," Willow said, not sure of how to word how she really felt, which was freaked out, uncomfortable, and wanting to leave. Despite all of that, she still felt a strong pull to stay here with the Doctor and explore this strange, new world.

Rose nodded and said, "They're just, so alien. The aliens. Are so alien. You look at 'em...and they're alien."

"Almost too alien," Willow said quietly, thinking of all she had seen.

"Good thing I didn't take you two to the Deep South," the Doctor said, teasingly.

Rose looked at the Doctor closely and said, "Where are you from?"

"All over the place," the Doctor said, avoiding the question.

"That isn't much of an answer," Willow scoffed.

"They all speak English," Rose observed.

"No—you just _hear_ English. It's a gift of the Tardis. Telepathic field, gets inside your brain—translates," the Doctor explained to them.

"What?" Willow asked breathlessly.

"It's inside our brains?" Rose asked, sounding slightly panicked.

"Well, in a good way," the Doctor said quickly, trying to make it sound better.

"Your machine gets inside my head. It gets inside and changes my mind, and you didn't even ask?" Rose said, sounding angry.

"I didn't think about it like that," the Doctor said, sounding surprised.

"No! You were too busy thinking up cheap shots about the Deep South! Who are you then, Doctor? What are you called? What sort of alien are you?" Rose asked.

"Rose, it's okay. We can trust him. I have a feeling we can," Willow said, feeling that strange feeling in her stomach again. Something in the back of her mind was telling her to trust him. She wasn't sure what it was.

"Stay out of it, Willow," Rose snapped. Willow gaped in silence at her cousin. Rose was almost never mad at her. She stood up and went to stand by the window, staring out in space at Earth, not wanting Rose to see how much her words had hurt her. She was determined not to cry though. Now that she thought about it, she cried way too often. She was a regular old bawl baby.

The Doctor sat up and looked away from Rose.

"I'm just the Doctor," he said.

"From what planet?" Rose shot out.

"Well, it's not as if you'll know where it is!" the Doctor said, exasperated.

"Where are you from?" Rose said again, getting more frustrated. Half at herself and half at the Doctor. Why wouldn't he just answer her questions? If he would've just answered them, she wouldn't have snapped at Willow like that, hurting her cousin.

"What does it matter?" the Doctor said.

"Tell me who you are!" Rose said, really pissed off now.

"This is who I am, right here, right now, alright? All that counts is here and now, and this is me!" the Doctor said, equally as angry now.

"Yeah, and we're here too because you brought us here, so just tell me!" Rose shouted out.

The Doctor stood up off the steps and walked away from Rose, standing by Willow that overlooked the planet below.

"Earth Death in 20 minutes. Earth Death in 20 minutes," the computer voice sounded.

Rose got up and followed the Doctor, but more slowly.

"Alright...as my mate Shareen says...don't argue with the designated driver..." Rose said, sounding tired.

The Doctor smiled at Rose, without facing her, knowing that she had given up for the time being. Rose sighed and pulled her mobile out of her pocket.

"Can't exactly call for a taxi...there's no signal. We're out of range. Just a bit!" Rose said, trying to make a joke to ease the tension.

"Tell you what..." the Doctor said. He took the phone from Rose and held out his hand expectantly to Willow.

"Sorry, don't have one," she said, a bit dejected. It still hurt her quite a lot that Rose had yelled at her for no reason. She had only been saying out loud what her gut had been telling her. That and the little whispering voice in the back of her mind.

"No mobile? Okay, then. With a little bit of jiggery pokery..." The Doctor took off the back of the phone.

"Is that a technical term, 'jiggery pokery'?" Rose asked teasingly.

"Yeah, I came first in jiggery pokery, what about you?" the Doctor asked.

"Nah, failed hullabaloo," Rose said with a slight laugh. A ghost of a smile appeared on Willow's lips at her new friend and her cousin's antics. _They make quite the pair,_ Willow thought to herself. _And here I am, the third wheel, like always_.

"Oooh," the Doctor said and he fit in a new battery and handed the phone back to Rose. "There you go."

Rose took the phone and looked at the Doctor uncertainly. He nodded and Rose dialed Jackie's number and put the phone to her ear. It started ringing. Willow looked between the mobile and the Doctor, amazed. He just continued to surprise her.

"Hello?" Jackie said, answering.

"Mum?" Rose asked in amazement.

"Oh, what is it? What's wrong? Is Willow all right? What have I done now? Oh, this red top's falling to bits! You should get your money back. Go on! There must be something, you never phone in the middle of the day!" Jackie said, rambling on like she always did, making Rose laugh. Willow smiled slightly at her aunt's voice.

"What's so funny?" Jackie asked.

"Nothing! You all right, though?" Rose asked.

"Yeah! Why wouldn't I be?" Jackie asked, bewildered why her daughter was asking that.

"What day is it?" Rose asked, suddenly curious to know how long they had been away.

"Wednesday. All day. You got a hangover? Oh, I tell you what, put a quid in that lottery syndicate, I'll pay you back later," Jackie said.

"Yeah, um, I was just calling 'cause I might be late home. Willow, too," Rose said.

"Is there something wrong?" Jackie asked.

"No! I'm fine! Willow's fine! Top of the world!" Rose said. Willow actually grinned this time at the pun.

Beside her, the Doctor laughed at the literal sense of Rose's words. That swooping feeling happened in Willow's stomach at the sound of the Doctor's laugh. It was a nice laugh, she liked it.

Jackie hung the phone up and Rose pulled her mobile away from her ear, stunned.

"Think that's amazing, you want to see the bill," the Doctor said, joking.

"That's brilliant," Willow breathed and the Doctor beamed at her, causing her to go bright red.

"That was 5 billion years ago. So...she's dead now. Five billion years later, my mum's dead," Rose said.

"Bundle of laughs, you are," the Doctor said.

The ship suddenly shuddered and Willow looked up in bewilderment.

"That's not supposed to happen," the Doctor said, sounding pleased and curious. The Doctor, Rose, and Willow made their way back to the Manchester Suite, where all the aliens were gathered. Willow entered the room a little warily, looking around. Nope, it wasn't a dream. It was all surreal.

"That wasn't a gravity pocket," the Doctor said. "I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that."

The Doctor started messing around with a control panel next to the door, leaving Rose and Willow quite clueless. Jabe approached them, causing Willow's eyes to widen in wonder again. The tree really was beautiful in her own way.

"What do you think, Jabe?" the Doctor asked. "Listened to the engines—they pitched up about 30 hertz, is that dodgy or what?"

Willow felt that same clenching in her chest again. She still didn't understand why she was having it, though, as the Doctor talked to Jabe and ignored her and Rose. She narrowed her eyes at the Time Lord and then turned away from him, looking out into the room.

"It's the sound of metal, it doesn't make any sense to me," Jabe said, not understanding what the Doctor was asking.

"Where's the engine room?" the Doctor asked.

"I don't know," Jabe said. "But the maintenance duct is just behind our guest's suite, I could show you. And...your wives."

"They're not my wives," the Doctor said, amused by that.

"Partners?" Jabe asked, confused.

"No," the Doctor said.

"Concubine?" Jabe asked.

"Nope," the Doctor said.

Jabe looked at both Rose and Willow. Willow returned the tree's gaze, now a little put off by her, though she was still beautiful.

"Prostitutes..." she said.

Willow gaped her mouth open in horror. That was totally insulting. She wasn't a prostitute! How dare the Tree...

"No—" was all she managed to squeak out as her face was the colour of her hair.

"Whatever we are," Rose said, also insulted, "it must be invisible, do you mind? Tell you what, you two go and pollinate, we're going to catch up with family. Quick word with Michael Jackson." Rose slipped her arm through Willow's and pulled her over to Cassandra. Willow sent a small glare back at the Doctor and Jabe before whipping her head back around to look at Cassandra in disgust.

"Don't start a fight," the Doctor said to the girls. "I'm all yours," he said to Jabe.

"And I want you home by midnight!" Rose called to the Doctor, who grinned at her.

Rose caught the look on Willow's face, which was anger (and that clenching in her chest again) and asked, "Are you alright, Willie?"

"Just peachy," she grumbled, clenching her jaw tightly, as well as her fists down at her sides.

"Are...are you jealous?" Rose asked, sounding unsure, but it made sense.

"What?! N-no!" Willow cried out, protesting a little too much and Rose smiled a secret smile to herself. So, Willow had a crush on the Doctor but didn't realize it. Rose giggled behind her hand quietly, but then her smile dropped as the computer voice announced again.

"Earth Death in 15 minutes. Earth Death in 15 minutes," the computer voice announced.

Rose went over to talk to Lady Cassandra, who was THE Last Human. Little did everyone on board (except for the Doctor, Rose, and Willow, obviously) that Rose and Willow were also human. Willow wrinkled her nose in disgust. There was no way this flat piece of skin was human. No way at all.

Rose, Willow, and Lady Cassandra all stood next to the window, looking out at the sun and Earth. Willow edged further away from the skin, not wanting to be too close to her. Her nose wrinkled up again as she smelled a funny smell coming from 'the last human' which smelled awfully a lot like formaldehyde.

"Soon, the sun will blossom into a red giant, and my home will die. That's where I used to live, when I was a little boy down there. Mummy and Daddy had a little house built into the side of the Los Angeles Crevice. I had such fun," Lady Cassandra said with a sigh, reminiscing.

"What happened to everyone else? The Human Race—where did it go?" Rose asked, curious to know what the future was like.

"They say Mankind has touched every star in the sky," Lady Cassandra said, disgust colouring her voice.

"So, you're _not_ the last human," Rose said.

"I am the last _pure_ human. The others...mingled. Oh, they call themselves 'New Humans' and 'Proto-humans' and 'Digi-humans' even 'Human-ish' but you know what I call them? Mongrels," she ended in a whisper, now very obviously disgusted.

"Right. And you stayed behind," Rose said, as Willow tried very hard not to gag at the smell that assaulted her nostrils.

"I kept myself pure," Lady Cassandra said proudly.

"How many operations have you had?" Rose asked, revolted.

"708. Next week, it's 709, I'm having my blood bleached. Is that why you two wanted a word? You could be flatter, Rose and Willow. You both have got a little bit of a chin poking out," Lady Cassandra offered to them.

"I'd rather die," Rose said flatly.

"Me, too," Willow said with a shudder, feeling like throwing up.

"Honestly, it doesn't hurt-" Lady Cassandra said.

"No, I mean it. I'd rather die. It's better to die than live like you—a bitchy trampoline," Rose said venomously.

"Rose! That's rude!" Willow exclaimed and then whispered, "But true."

"Oh well. What do you know," Lady Cassandra said. "What about you, dear?" she asked Willow.

"Hell no," Willow said firmly, causing Rose to grin like a maniac.

"I was born on that planet. So was Willow. And so was my mum, and so was my dad and that make us officially the lat human beings in this room, 'cause you're not human. You've had it all nipped and tucked and flattened till there's nothing left. Anything human got chucked in the bin. You're just skin, Cassandra. Lipstick and skin. Nice talking. C'mon Willow," Rose said.

Rose walked off, Willow very gladly following after her. Anything to get her away from that nasty smell. She took a deep breath of fresh air in relief. As they strode through the room, Willow caught sight of the Adherents of the Repeated Meme, watching them leave. She shuddered. She had a bad feeling about them deep in her gut.

"You know, Rose, that _was_ a bit rude," Willow said, chewing her lip and rubbing her scar. She hated being rude to people or making anyone mad at her. It made her feel sick to her stomach to think that someone was angry with her and it was her fault.

"Yeah, well, so was she," Rose said flatly.

The two of them had left the Suite for peace and quiet and were wandering down a corridor not far away. As they were talking about what they thought of all this, if they should continue traveling with the Doctor (Rose and Willow weren't quite sure on that yet), they noticed the Adherents of the Repeated Meme were walking towards them from the opposite end of the corridor. Rose smiled at them and Willow flattened herself against the wall to try to pass by them, but the Adherents stuck both of the girls in the heads, sending them to the ground. Once the girls were unconscious, the Adherent dragged them off out the corridor, and into one of the rooms that lined the hall.

When Willow woke up, she was groggy and had a slight headache along with a bump where she had been hit. There was music playing loudly and she recognized it as Brittany Spears, 'Toxic'. Beside her, Rose was sitting up, rubbing her head.

"Are you okay, Rosie?" Willow slurred slightly, trying to fully wake.

"Fine, you?" Rose asked in concern.

"Alright enough," Willow said, shaking her head to try and clear it.

"Sunfilter descending. Sunfilter descending," the computer voice said, startling Rose and Willow into standing. They run to the door and tried opening it, but it was locked and instead started knocking frantically.

"Let us out!" Rose yelled, starting to panic

"Please, let us out!" Willow yelled, also starting to freak out.

"Sunfilter descending," the computer voice repeated.

"Let us out! Let us out!" Rose screamed.

"Anyone in there?" they heard the Doctor ask from the other side of the door.

"Let us out!" both Rose and Willow screamed at the same time.

"Oh, well, it would be you two," the Doctor said, exasperated.

"Open the door!" Rose yelled.

"Hold on! Give us two ticks!" the Doctor told them, trying to keep them calm.

"I don't think we have two ticks, Doctor," Willow whispered, scared. She was sweating heavily as the sun level was just above their heads, heating up the room greatly. The whole room started smoking as the sunfilter descended and Willow started coughing.

"Sunfilter descending. Sunfilter descending," the computer voice kept repeating. Suddenly, it changed. "Sunfilter rising. Sunfilter rising."

Inside the viewing gallery, both girls sighed with relief and hugged each other. They were going to live!

"Sunfilter rising...Sunfilter descending," the computer voice said.

"This is just what we need. The computer's getting clever," the Doctor said, as the cousins started screaming again.

"Will you stop mucking about!" Rose yelled.

"I'm not mucking about, it's fighting back!" the Doctor yelled back.

"Both of you stop arguing!" Willow yelled. "And open the door!"

"Open the door!" Rose yelled.

"Hang on!" the Doctor yelled.

Both girls looked at the descending sunfilter in alarm and ran down the stairs and flattened themselves to the floor to buy themselves a little bit more time. Willow lay on her stomach with her arms over her head (not that it would help any), while still sweating heavily from the heat. Her hair was sticking her to face and neck and her blouse clung to her body uncomfortably.

"The locks melted!" Rose yelled in alarm.

"Sunfilter descending. Sunfilter descending," the computer voice repeated yet again. It changed again. "Sunfilter rising. Sunfilter rising."

Panting and out of breath (and taking the small opportunity of the rising sunfilter), Willow got up and ran back to the door, Rose right behind her. The Doctor still couldn't open the door, though.

"The whole thing's jammed. I can't open the doors. Stay there! Don't move!" the Doctor yelled, sounding like he was running away.

"Where're we gonna go? Ipswich?" Rose screamed back, terrified.

"Earth Death in 5 minutes," the computer voice said.

"We're gonna die," Willow said, sadly, but accepting her fate. She sat down heavily on the steps and hugged her knees to her chest. Rose sat down beside her and put her arm around her shoulders. The two of them were going to die out in space, billions of years in the future, not going to see any of their family again.

"I'm so sorry, Willie. I shouldn't have brought you with me. It's my fault," Rose said, leaning her head on Willow's shoulder. They were both taking the last minute or so of their lives to say goodbye to each other.

"Don't be daft, Rosie. I wanted to come," Willow said quietly, sighing. "And it's okay."

"Earth Death in 2 minutes. Earth Death in 2 minutes," the computer voice said.

"At least we're together," Willow whispered to Rose, taking her cousin's hand in her own.

"Yeah, that's good," Rose whispered back.

"Heat level—critical. Heat levels—critical," the computer voice said. "Heat levels—rising. Heat levels—rising. External temperature—5 thousand degrees. Heat levels—rising. Heat levels—rising."

The glass windows in the room started to crack. The cousins hugged each other tightly, waiting for the inevitable to happen.

"Heat levels—hazardous," the computer voice stated. Willow jumped up off the stairs, pulling on Rose's arm and they backed up, wanting to get away from the glass before it shattered. They cower against the farthest wall away from the windows, trying to make themselves as small as they possibly could.

"Shield malfunctioning. Shields malfunctioning," the computer told them.

Rays of sun blasted through the cracks in the glass, burning holes in the wall near the girls. Both Rose and Willow screamed in fear. Willow had to work and concentrate on dodging each blast of the sun that came through the glass, trying not to get barbequed.

"Heat levels—critical. Heat levels—critical," the computer said.

The sunlight hit the wall on either side of the girls. Willow screamed again in fear. Even thought she had accepted the fact that they would die, human nature took over to try and survive in any way she could as she still worked to live.

"Heat levels—rising. Heat levels—rising," the computer announced. Willow was really starting to hate that computer.

The walls around Rose and Willow started burning like crazy, actually catching fire. The heat in the room was insanely hot. Willow was sweating so bad that she was sure her once white blouse was now a different colour and very see-though.

"Planet explodes in 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1," the computer counted down.

Willow closed her eyes and waited for the end to come, knowing there wasn't a way out of this situation, but it never happened.

"Exoglass repair. Exoglass repair," the computer says. The glass in the room repaired itself and the walls stopped burning, though the heat didn't leave. Willow cracked open eyes into a squint, looking around and panting heavily. She went over to the doors, along with Rose, to try to open them and they did, like they had never been locked in the first place. Willow walked back into the observation gallery, where the aliens are sitting around, wounded or dead. She was still panting from all the smoke that had been in the room, and tried to get her heart rate under control again.

The Doctor entered the room a moment later, but he walked right past Rose and Willow, much to their confusion, and went straight to the Trees. He muttered some words to them and placed his hands on their shoulders. He then walked back over to Rose and Willow.

"Are you alright?" Rose asked in concern, as he was all sweaty and dirty with a scrape here and there. He also looked very pissed off.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm full of ideas, I 'm bristling with them. Idea number one—teleportation through five thousand degrees needs some kind of feed. Idea number two—this feed must be hidden nearby," the Doctor said forcefully.

He stomped over to the ostrich egg and broke it open. Out fell a teleportation feed. The Doctor picked it up and said, "Idea number three—if you're as clever as me, then a teleportation feed can be reversed."

He twisted the feed. Lady Cassandra appeared, gloating proudly.

"Ah, you should have seen their little alien faces," Cassandra was saying. She finally seemed to notice where she was. "Oh."

"The Last Human," the Doctor said, his voice full of digust.

"So. You passed my little test. Bravo. This makes you eligible to join the er...the human club," Lady Cassandra said, making it up on the spot.

"People have died, Cassandra. You murdered them," the Doctor said angrily and Willow shuddered at his tone of voice.

"It was _her_ that did all of this?" Willow asked, shocked. It seemed the human race didn't change much after all, even if was just a bitchy trampoline.

"That depends on your definition of 'people.' And that's enough of a technicality to keep your lawyers dizzy for centuries. Take me to court then, Doctor! And watch em smile, and cry, and flutter..." Cassandra rattled off.

"And creak?" the Doctor asked, a little smug.

"And what?" Cassandra asked.

"Creak! You're creaking," the Doctor said.

Cassandra's skin was tightening and her eyes were starting to become bloodshot. Her skin was also becoming whiter and whiter. Cassandra was starting to panic, a lot.

"What? Ah! Ah! I'm drying out! Oh, sweet heavens! Moisturize me! Moisturize me! Where are my surgeons? My lovely boys! It's too hot!" She exclaimed, starting to get covered in red spots.

"You raised the temperature," the Doctor explained to her

"Have pity! Moisturize me! Oh, Doctor!" Cassandra said, terrified.

"Help her," Rose whispered, shaken.

"Please, Doctor," Clara said, horrified that he would just let her, a murderer, yes, but a person nonetheless, die.

"Everything has its time and everything dies," the Doctor said harshly.

"I'm...too..._young_!" Cassandra said, shriveling up.

Cassandra exploded, causing Willow to gasp loudly and tear up. Despite Cassandra's attitude toward them, she was still saddened to see someone die right in front of her eyes. The Doctor looked like he was cold and uncaring. He left the room, leaving Rose and Willow behind. Willow was just gaping after him, getting a sick feeling in her stomach

"Shuttles 4 and 6 departing. This unit now closing down for maintenance," the computer voice said.

Everyone had left the Manchester Suite, except for Rose and Willow, who were both standing at the window watching the Earth burn. Willow felt a great sadness inside of herself as she watched the planet die below her. Rocks flew past the window and Willow only slightly turned her head around as she heard the Doctor's footsteps as he stood behind her and Rose. Willow touched her face and was surprised to find tears going down her cheeks. But she was sure that it wasn't from watching the Earth burn. It was from the cruelty and coldness of the Doctor. He could have saved Cassandra and had her arrested, not let her die painfully.

Rose was just as tearful as she said, "The end of Earth. It's gone. And we were too busy saving ourselves, no one saw it go. All those years...all that history and no one was even looking. It's just..."

The Doctor held out his hands to each of the girls. "Come with me. Both of you."

Rose and Willow each took one of each of his hands and they all walked out of the room together and back to where the Tardis was parked. They entered and the Tardis dematerialized and traveled back to 2005. Willow stepped out of the TARDIS, looking around in the crowd, seeing all of the humans with happiness all over her face and in her heart.

"Look at all the people!" Willow said joyfully.

"Big issue!" a issue seller called out.

"You think it'll last forever. People, and cars and concrete. But it won't. One day, it's all gone. Even the sky," the Doctor said. Willow turned her attention to the sky, taking in a deep breath and its beauty. "My planet's gone," the Doctor added, telling Rose and Willow something personal about himself.

Willow turned to look at him sadly. This was the first time he had really mentioned anything about himself and it was horrible, to have your planet completely gone.

"It's dead. It burned like the Earth. It's just rocks and dust. Before its time," the Doctor said, a deep sadness present in his eyes.

"What happened?" Rose asked, curious.

"There was a war. And we lost," the Doctor said.

"A war with who?" Rose asked.

The Doctor didn't answer. He seemed like he was lost in thought.

"Who was it?" Willow asked softly, gently touching his arm, ignoring the tingles that traveled up her arm, making her heart beat loudly and quickly. He still didn't answer.

"What about your people?" Rose asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"I'm a Time Lord," the Doctor said. "I'm the last of the Time Lords. They're all gone. I'm the only survivor. I'm left traveling on my own because there's no one else."

"There's me..." Rose said.

"And me, that's if you'll have me," Willow said softly, knowing that she was useless.

Rose smiled at the Doctor, trying to cheer him up.

"You've both seen how dangerous it is. Do either of you want to go home?" the Doctor asked.

Willow looked at him for a few seconds, thinking. Yeah, it was dangerous and they nearly died, but they had saved people, good people. Also, it _was_ pretty exciting.

"I don't know. I want..." Rose broke off and sniffed the air like a bloodhound. "Oh! Can you smell chips?"

Willow also took in a deep breath and breathed out, "Ooh, yeah!"

The Doctor laughed and said, "Yeah. Yeah!"

"I want chips," Rose said, deciding.

The Doctor smiled and said, "Me too."

"Me three," Willow piped up and they all laughed. Willow had meant that by wanting chips, she still wanted to travel with the Doctor and she knew that Rose meant the same, but also wanted chips. Rose was like a chip queen. Willow was forever making chips for Rose for lunch and dinner and sometimes even breakfast. She sighed happily.

"Right then, before you get me back in that box, chips it is, and you can pay for us," Rose said, looping her arm through Willow's.

"No money," the Doctor said, shrugging his shoulders.

"What sort of date are you? Come on then, tightwad, chips on me," Rose said, rolling her eyes.

The Doctor smiled at her and Willow, knowing that they were going to stay with him.

"Don't worry, Rose, I've got this. I kept some money in my pocket," Willow said, knowing that Rose didn't really have any money on her. "But you both owe me."

"We've only got five billion years before the shops close," Rose said, joking.

They walked down the streets, laughing, Willow leaning on one shoulder of the Doctor's, and Rose on the other. Just the three of them, against the universe.


	3. The Unquiet Dead

**The Unquiet Dead**

It was total chaos in the TARDIS; it was shaking and alarms were going off like crazy. Willow Tyler was trying to hold on tight so she wouldn't end up on the floor, but at the same time, she was holding down a lever that the Doctor had ordered her to. He said that if she accidentally let go, they could end up in the time vortex, lost forever.

"Hold that one down!" the Doctor ordered.

"I'm _holding_ this one down!" Rose snapped.

"Well, hold them BOTH down!" the Doctor ordered again.

"_I'm_ holding that one down!" Willow cried out.

"It's not going to work!" Rose insisted.

"Oi! I promised you a time machine and that's what you're getting. Now, you've seen the future—let's have a look at the past. 1860. How does 1860 sound?" the Doctor asked, wanting the cousins' opinions.

"What happened in 1860?" Rose asked, curious.

"I don't know, let's find out. Hold on, here we go!" the Doctor said in excitement.

The TARDIS started shaking madly as it entered the time vortex. The controls then started steaming as the TARDIS finally landed in the unknown. The Doctor, Rose, and Willow all fell to the floor in the landing, laughing at the excitement and craziness. Willow stood up, a little sore and then helped her cousin to her feet and Rose exclaimed, "Blimey!"

"You're telling me! Are you both alright?" the Doctor asked.

"Fine and dandy," Willow said a little sarcastic, rubbing her sore arse. She knew she would have a bruise on it later from landing on it so roughly.

"Yeah," Rose said. "I think so! Nothing broken...did we make it? Where are we?"

The Doctor studied the screen. "I did it! Give the man a medal. Earth—Naples-December 24th, 1860."

"That's so weird...it's Christmas," Rose said. Willow was excited to get outside the Tardis and see what Christmas in 1860 was like. She could only imagine…

The Doctor gestured both the girls to the door. "All yours," he said, grinning at Rose and Willow.

"But, it's like...think about it, though. Christmas. 1860. Happens once. Just once, and it's gone. It's finished. It'll never happen again. Except for you. You can go back and see days that are dead and gone and a hundred thousand sunsets ago...no wonder you never stay still..." Rose said.

"Not a bad life," the Doctor said.

"It's wonderful," Willow said, in awe of the snow on the monitor.

"Better with three," Rose said. The three time travelers grinned at each other for a few moments and then Rose slapped the Doctor's arse playfully and ran towards the Tardis door. Willow blushed a deep red at what she witnessed before following, keeping her head down.

"Come on then!" Rose said in excitement.

"Oi, oi, oi! Where do you think you're going?" the Doctor asked, raising his eyebrow at the eager cousins.

"1860!" Rose said, an excited gleam in her eyes.

"Go out there dressed like that, you both'll start a riot, Barbarellas! There's a wardrobe through there. First left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, it's the fifth door on your left. Hurry up!" the Doctor told them.

Rose and Willow rushed off to _try_ and find the wardrobe to get changed. Finally succeeding, the girls had fun looking though the wardrobe, each of them finding something pretty to wear that was time appropriate. Rose found a very pretty red dress with a black shawl to wear with it, as well as a matching hat.

Willow chose a green dress that went with her tightly curled red hair and was similar to Rose's dress. She, too, chose a black shawl because of the snow and the freezing cold air outside. She helped Rose curl her blonde hair and pile it on top of her head and pinned it up. She set the hat on her head and Rose did the same to her hair. Willow's took less time curling, since it was naturally curly, but it was hard to tame the curls to pile it into an elegant updo.

"I bet the Doctor's getting impatient," Willow said with a laugh.

Rose laughed as well and said, "Yeah, I bet he is."

When Rose and Willow were finished, they went back out to the console room. The Doctor was there, waiting, using his sonic screwdriver. He had a cross look on his face, proving Willow right; he was impatient. When Willow and Rose wandered in, he turned his sonic off and looked at the girls in surprise.

"Blimey!" he exclaimed.

"Don't laugh at us!" Rose ordered, pointing her finger at him.

"You both look beautiful!" the Doctor said, sounding very surprised that he found humans beautiful.

What Willow missed (as she was looking at her feet in embarrassment), but Rose noticed, with a smirk, was that the Doctor's gaze had only lingered on Rose for a split second, before he turned his full attention over to Willow. Rose giggled quietly to herself and then smiled. There was an awkward pause, and the Doctor looked away from Willow uncomfortably.

"...considering," the Doctor added, ruining the moment. Willow deflated slightly. She had been looking at her shoes, not wanting to meet the Doctor's eyes, or get her hopes up, which had happened anyways, along with her heart rate.

"Considering what?" Rose and Willow asked at the same time (Willow more whispered it, though). They both giggled quietly to themselves and the Doctor rolled his eyes at them.

"That you're both human!" the Doctor said, as if it were obvious.

"I _think_ that's a compliment...What do you think, Willow?" Rose asked her cousin.

Willow still looked at her shoes, turned a bit red with the attention focused on her and mumbled, "I'm not quite sure."

"Aren't you going to change?" Rose asked the Doctor, eyeing his normal jumper and leather jacket.

"I've changed my jumper! Come on!" the Doctor said, indicating towards the door.

He jumped out of the space beneath the controls and marched gleefully to the Tardis doors, but Rose pushed past him, beating him to the doors. Willow raised her eyebrow at her cousin, feeling the clenching in her stomach again. She thought that maybe it was jealousy, but she couldn't be sure. Besides, what did she have to be jealous over, anyways?

"You, stay there! You've done this before. This one is mine! Willow, you can have the next!" Rose declared, sending an apologetic look to her cousin, who shrugged wordlessly with a small smile.

Rose hurried over to the door and opened it. Willow followed behind her cousin, very slowly, as Rose was taking her time. Willow's heart sped up considerably as the Doctor was right behind her, his chest practically touching her back. She flushed and then turned her attention trying to get a glimpse of the new (but old) world outside the doors.

"Pile up at the door!" Willow joked quietly to the Doctor, as Rose was indeed blocking the door, cautiously stepping out onto the snow, checking to see if it were indeed real.

"Oi!" Rose said. "This is new snow is 1860! I'll take my time, thank you very much!"

After Rose fully stepped out of the TARDIS, Willow exited and breathed in a lungful of fresh, 1860's air. She breathed deeply for a moment, taking in the nice air, but got dizzy after a moment. She reminded herself that this was clean air, before all the smog, cars, and factories.

"It's beautiful," Willow whispered after she felt better.

The Doctor followed Rose and Willow out into the snow, watching their reactions. Well, mostly Willow's reaction, though she didn't know it. Rose noticed, though, and smiled to herself. _So,_ she thought. _The Doctor has a crush on Willow, too. And they both are unaware of the other's affections_. She giggled quietly to herself and then focused on the beautiful snow-covered world around her.

"That it is," the Doctor said. "Are you both ready for this?"

Rose smiled at the Doctor and Willow said, "Don't you know it!"

"Oh, yes," Willow said shyly.

The Doctor offered one arm to each girl and they took it gladly. Willow hung on a little tighter, hoping not to slip and fall, and tried to ignore the electric current that seemed to run through her arm that held the Doctor's.

"Here we go. History!" the Doctor declared.

The three of them walked off down the cobble-stoned street, admiring the sights that modern day towns couldn't offer them. Well, Rose and Willow anyways. Willow looked around in amazement, not really believing he eyes and then her gaze fell onto the Doctor, who looked almost bored at the views around them.

"Does nothing amaze you anymore, Doctor?" Willow asked him, surprised.

"Not much," he admitted, though he smiled.

"Oooh, carol singers!" Willow exclaimed, spotting the colourfully dressed people. She started to walk towards the signers, wanting to enjoy the music, but Rose pulled on her arm gently as the Doctor started off in the opposite direction of the carolers. The Doctor went up to a newspaper stand and bought one. He unfolded it and scanned through it quickly, then frowned.

"I got the flight a bit wrong," he admitted to the girls.

"I don't care," Rose said

"Nor I," Clara said, smiling in wonder.

"It's not 1860, it's 1869," the Doctor told them.

"What's the difference?" Willow asked rhetorically, still looking around.

"I don't care!" Rose still said.

"And it's not Naples," the Doctor said.

"She still doesn't care," Willow said to him, giving him a small smile.

"She's right, I don't," Rose said, grinning.

"It's Cardiff," the Doctor admitted to them.

"Oh," said Willow, her smile fading slightly.

"Right," Rose frowning a bit.

That was the moment that the screaming sounded. Willow jerked her head in the direction it came from, a startled look on her face. The Doctor grinned widely at the sound of trouble. He was saved from the boredom of everything being too normal and blah.

"That's more like it!" the Doctor said gleefully. He tossed the newspaper aside and took off in the direction of the screaming, with Rose and Willow on his tail. They were a bit behind, due to the correct time period boots, which had a bit of a heel on them, slowing them down so they wouldn't slip on the ice. When the three of them entered inside the theatre where the screaming was coming from, Willow looked around in amazement at a blue gas that was swirling around the room.

"Fantastic," the Doctor said, very interested.

In the middle of the theatre, Willow spotted an old woman, who had the blue gas coming out of her mouth. She watched in horror as the last of the gas left, and the old woman slumped in the chair, as if she were a marionette and her strings had been cut. The Doctor walked off and approached an older man in the theatre, who happened to be Charles Dickens.

"Did you see where it came from?" the Doctor asked.

"Ah. The wag reveals himself, does he? I trust you're satisfied, sir?" Mr. Dickens asked, sounding very disappointed.

The Doctor looked surprised and taken aback.

Rose and Willow, however, were still watching the dead woman as if they couldn't look away in morbid fascination. When two people, an older man and a woman slightly older than Rose and Willow, started to take the body away, Willow looked at Rose and they both nodded at each other, both intending to follow them.

"Oi! Leave her alone!" Rose demanded, but it went unheard in the chaos. The two mysterious people lifted up the body and carried her off to the exit of the theatre.

"Doctor, we'll get 'em!" Rose called out, but again it went unheard. Willow grabbed Rose's arm this time and pulled her to the exit the two people had taken only seconds before.

"Be careful!" the Doctor said, noticing Rose and Willow leaving, then turned his attention back to Charles Dickens.

Rose and Willow followed the pair carrying the corpse to a hearse that was parked outside in Cardiff Square. They approached the end of it, where they had already stored the dead woman. The young girl was standing there, looking very unsure.

"What're you doing?" Rose demanded.

"Oh, it's such a tragedy, misses. Don't worry yourselves, me and the master will deal with it," the woman said, moving to try and keep Rose and Willow from seeing inside the hearse, which they were both trying to attempt regardless. "The fact is, this poor lady's been taken with the brain fever and we have to get her to the infirmary."

Willow pushed the young woman aside while Rose reached inside the hearse and touched the old woman's forehead.

"She's cold...she's dead! My God, what did you do to her?" Rose asked, horrified.

"You killed her!" Willow exclaimed, also horrified. Suddenly, Willow felt woozy as the man that had been with the woman, snuck up behind her and clamped a handkerchief full of chloroform over her mouth. Willow needed to breathe and inhaled the sweet scent of the chloroform, blacking out instantly. Rose, however, tried to struggle for a few seconds, but then she, too, went limp.

The Doctor had figured out that the swirling blue substance that was in the theatre was a gas and decided to go look for Willow and Rose, whom had been gone for far too long. He went outside, where the two girls had taken off to, just as the woman, Gwyneth, was pushing Rose's head into the hearse. Willow was already inside, unfortunately lying on the old woman's body. Rose, fortunately (for her), was lying on top of Willow. Gwyneth slammed the door shut and hurried to the front of the hearse, where the older man was already waiting.

"Rose! Willow!" the Doctor called out in panic. He started to race towards the hearse, but was stopped by Mr. Dickens, who wasn't through with him. The hearse pulled away, with the Doctor's companions in it, right in front of his eyes. He growled in frustration.

Inside the Chapel of Rest (a funeral home), Gwyneth and the man, Sneed, each had hold of one end of Rose (arms and legs) and were carrying her inside. Both Rose and Willow were out cold and unaware of what was happening around them.

"The poor girls are still alive, sir! What're we going to do with them?" Gwyneth asked Sneed, very concerned about the two strange girls.

They set Rose down on a table generally used for bodies and doubled back outside to carry in Willow next.

"I don't know! I didn't plan any of this, did I? Isn't my fault if the dead won't stay dead," Sneed said harshly.

"Then whose fault is it, sir? Why is this happening to us?" Gwyneth asked, the poor girl near tears.

They each took an end of Willow (again, arms and legs) and carried her inside and placed her on a table next to Rose and then left the room, leaving the girls alone. What they don't notice (Rose and Willow 'cos they were still unconscious and Gwyneth and Sneed because they had already left the room) was that the gas lamps in the room flickered.

Rose woke up a few minutes later, just before her cousin. Willow woke up a couple of minutes after her cousin, feeling very groggy from the drug that had been used on her. Looking around the small room they were in, she didn't recognize her surroundings. She was also too groggy to notice the gas from the lamps fills the corpse of the young man behind them. The body sat up quite suddenly, reanimated.

Rose turned around, trying to find another way out and finally noticed the corpse. Willow sat up slowly, holding her head in her hands.

"Ooh, my head," she groaned, blinking her eyes rapidly to get rid of the blurriness.

"Willow, look," Rose said with a joking tone, since she thought the body was just a trick.

"Are you all right? You're kidding us, yeah? You're just kidding," Rose asked the corpse, who didn't answer, because it was dead. Obviously. The body just slowly climbed out of the coffin and made its way to the girls.

"You are, you're kidding us, aren't ya?" Rose said, starting to get scared.

"Er, Rose, I don't think he's kidding, or that this is a joke," Willow said, also scared. She got up off the table and backed away to the door, same as Rose was doing. The body staggered a couple of steps towards the girls.

"Okay, not kidding," Rose said in a shaky voice. Both girls finally reached the door of the room, taking turns trying to open it, to no avail; it was locked.

Rose and Willow were trapped between the door and the body of the man, nowhere to go. To make things worse, suddenly the old woman's body also rose up, but from the other coffin that was in the room. Both Rose and Willow gasped in horror. Now they were really screwed. Plus, they had no idea where the Doctor was, so they had to save themselves.

"Rose, vase!" Willow pointed out to her cousin. There was a large, plain-looking vase on the other side of Rose, that she immediately picked up and threw at the man's body. However, it did nothing, only caused him to stumble slightly.

"That didn't work as well as I'd thought!" Willow admitted in a shaky voice as Rose rattled the door handle, yelling, "Let us out! Open the door!"

"Weren't we just in this situation?" Willow whispered in fear.

"Please, let us out!" Rose and Willow both yelled out in panic. The bodies were getting closer to them and there was no way to slow them down. "Let us out! Somebody, open the door! Open the door!" Rose yelled frantically.

The man clamped a hand over Rose's mouth (Willow tried not to gag at the smell of the dead bodies so close to them) and the old woman grabbed onto Willow's wrist tightly, trying to drag her backwards, more than likely to kill them. Right at that second, the Doctor kicked the door in, startling everyone in the room. Well, maybe except for the cadavers.

"Doctor!" Willow cried out in relief, frantically trying to free her wrist from the old woman's death grip. No pun intended, of course.

"I think this is _my_ dance," the Doctor said, first releasing Rose from the man's body. There was an older man (unknown to Willow and Rose) with the Doctor that helped him to free Willow next, once Rose was safe out in the hallway.

"It's a prank? It must be. We're under some mesmeric influence," the unknown man (who was in fact Mr. Dickens) said frantically.

"No, we're not. The dead are walking," the Doctor said, grinning down at Rose and Willow in glee. "Ha!"

Willow then threw herself at the Doctor and hugged him around his middle. When she pulled away, she was way past the colour of her hair, which amused the Doctor.

"Thank you, Doctor. Thanks for saving us, again," she said, suddenly very aware of the audience they had and looked down at her feet, still flushed.

"Hi!" Rose exclaimed. "Who's your friend?"

"Charles Dickens," the Doctor said.

"Oh, okay," Rose said.

"_The_ Charles Dickens?" Willow asked, in awe.

"The one and only," Mr. Dickens answered.

"I _love_ all of your books, sir. They are quite amazing," Willow said shyly, after shaking his hand. "It really is a pleasure."

"Oh, are you my biggest...fan as well, Miss...?"

"Tyler, sir. Willow Tyler, and yes, I am a fan," she replied, blushing.

While the pair was conversing with each other, the Doctor tried to address the corpses.

"My name's the Doctor. Who are you, then? What do you want?" he asked.

"We're failing. Open the rift, we're dying. Trapped in this form—cannot sustain—help us," the man's body said, which caused Willow to whirl around and shudder in horror. She then watched in shock as both bodies raised their hands to the ceiling. The blue gas from previously left the pair and, with a horrible wailing sound, both the bodies fell to the floor, once again just dead corpses.

The party moved downstairs, for which Willow was glad for. Charles Dickens had an arm around her in comfort, as she was shaking like a leaf and the Doctor was watching them in jealousy. Willow wanted to be as far from the bodies as possible as she sat in on of the armchairs in the room. Rose was having a go at Sneed, while Gwyneth poured everyone tea. Clara sipped at her tea slowly to try and calm her nerves down a bit. She was less shaky now and her heart rate had calmed down considerably.

"First of all, you drug me and Willow, then you kidnap us, and don't think I didn't feel your hands having a quick wander, you dirty old man," Rose ranted on at Sneed. The Doctor sniggered at that Willow shot him a look that clearly said, "Shut up." It was no laughing matter to her when she had been kidnapped and placed in a room with reanimated corpses.

"I won't be spoken to like this!" Sneed shouted angrily.

"Oh, leave her alone," Willow said unconvincingly and then she rubbed her temples, hoping the slight headache that was forming would go away. She figured it was from the chloroform, as well as the stress.

"Then you stuck us in room full of zombies! And if that ain't enough, you swan off! And leave us to die! So come on—talk!" Rose demanded. Willow tried to look fierce as well, to get answers, but knew she had failed when she caught the Doctor sniggering at her. She flushed and hid her face from him. Why did he have to tease her all the time and turn her into a tomato?

"It's not my fault, it's this house! It always had a reputation. Haunted. But I never had much bother until a few months back. And then the stiffs-" He broke off as Charles Dickens looked very offended at the word.

"...the er, dear departed started getting restless," Sneed finished.

"Tommyrot," Dickens scoffed.

"You witnessed it! Can't keep the beggars down, sir! They walk. And it's the queerest thing that they hang on to scraps," Sneed said.

Gwyneth handed the Doctor his tea and said, "Two sugars, sir, just how you like it."

"One old fella who used to be sexton almost walked into his own memorial service! Just like the old lady going to your performance, sir! Just as she planned," Sneed said.

"Morbid fancy," Dickens said, still not believing it.

"Oh, Charles, you were there," the Doctor insisted.

"I saw nothing but an illusion," Dickens said, speaking his mind.

"If you're going to deny it, don't waste my time. Just shut up," the Doctor said. To Sneed, he asked, "What about the gas?"

"That's new, sir, never seen anything like that," Sneed said.

"Means it's getting stronger, the rift's getting wider and something's sneaking through," the Doctor said.

"What's the rift," Rose and Willow asked in curiosity at the same time, much to the Doctor's annoyance.

"A weak point in time and space. The connection between this place and another. That's the cause of ghost stories, most of the time," the Doctor told them with a sigh at having to explain everything. Willow hung her head in shame at her stupidity of not knowing.

"That's how I got the house so cheap," Sneed said.

Willow caught a slight movement from the corner of her eyes and saw Charles Dickens sneaking out of the room. She quietly set down her tea on the table next to her chair, and since she had unconsciously chosen the armchair closest to the door (and furthest from everyone else), she managed to sneak out. What she didn't realize was that the Doctor had seen her leaving.

Willow followed Mr. Dickens down the hallways, watching as he examined the gas lamps every once in a while.

"Impossible," he gasped, as he didn't find the answers he was seeking.

"Nothing is impossible, sir," Willow said timidly, startling the writer.

"I didn't see you there, Miss Tyler," Dickens said, looking like a child that had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Are you exploring, or out to prove your point that this is a hoax, sir?" Willow asked politely, but genuinely curious.

"None of this is real. Bodies don't just come back. It's impossible," he said. He made his way to the room that Rose and Willow had been locked in. Willow hesitated before going in to find Dickens picking up the lid to the coffin of the dead man, where he was lying peacefully and very much dead. Willow shuddered as Dickens waved his hands in front of the man's face, shook him a bit, and checked around underneath the coffin.

"You won't find anything," Willow said in a scared, shaking voice, both her and Dickens oblivious to the Doctor standing in the doorway.

"Checking for stings?" the Doctor asked.

"Doctor!" Willow gasped, whirling around, her hand over her chest in fright. Her skirts had swirled around her legs and then settled back to the floor. The Doctor glanced at her in amusement and then shifted his gaze to Dickens.

"Wire, perhaps? There must be some mechanism behind this fraud!" Dickens said. The Doctor unfolded his arms that had been crossed over his chest and walked over towards Dickens and Willow. Willow gave him a small, shy smack on his arm for scaring her to death, no pun intended. The Doctor gave her another amused look before addressing Dickens.

"Oh, come on, Charles. All right, I shouldn't have told you to shut up. I'm sorry. But you've got one of the best minds in the world. You saw those gas creatures," the Doctor said, and placed a hand on Dickens' shoulder.

"I cannot accept that," Dickens said stubbornly.

"And what does the human body do when it decomposes? It breaks down and produces gas. Perfect home for these gas things—they can slip inside and use it as a vehicle. Just like your driver and his coach," the Doctor said.

"Stop it! Can it be that I have the world entirely wrong?" Dickens exclaimed.

"Not wrong. There's just more to learn," the Doctor said.

"It's true. He knows better than anyone," Willow piped up, then flushed as the two men looked at her.

"I've always railed against the fantasies. Oh, I loved an illusion as much as the next man, revelled in them—that's what they were. Illusions! The real world is something else. I dedicated myself to that. Injustices. Great social causes. I hoped that I was a force for good. Now you tell me that the real world is a realm of spectres and jack o' lanterns. In which case—have I wasted my brief span here, Doctor? Has it all been for nothing?" Dickens asked.

Willow left the room quietly the, feeling that the conversation wasn't meant for her. That, and she didn't want to be in the room with the cadavers any longer. She slipped downstairs to find Rose making her way to the kitchen with dirty dishes from tea. She picked up the remaining cups and followed after her.

"Oh, not you too, Miss," Gwyneth said to Willow, trying to take the dirty dishes from her.

"Oh, it's okay. I do the dishes all the time at home, right, Rose?" she said, raising an eyebrow at her cousin who never helped her with the dishes at home.

"Yeah, besides Sneed works you to death," Rose said kindly to Gwyneth. "How much do you get paid?"

"Eight pounds a year, miss," Gwyneth said proudly, as if it were a great sum of money.

"That much?" Rose said, stunned at how little the woman got paid. Willow felt her mouth gaped open in shock and quickly shut it.

"I know. I would've been happy with six," Gwyneth said, mistaking Rose's surprise.

Both Rose and Willow looked dumbfounded at the woman's happiness. She was worked to dead with little to no pay, and loved it.

"So, did you go to school or what?" Rose said, curious to know how things worked in 1869.

"Of course I did. What do you think I am? An urchin? I went every Sunday. Nice and proper," Gwyneth said.

"What—once a week?" Rose asked, once again taken by surprise.

"We did sums and everything. To be honest, I hated every second," Gwyneth said.

"Me too," Rose said in agreement.

"I rather liked school," Willow said shyly, blushing. Rose had always teased her about that. That she should've lived at the school, she loved it so much.

Gwyneth and Rose both laughed at her, making her flush darker.

"Don't tell anyone, but one week, I didn't go and ran on the heath all on my own!" Gwyneth said, as if it was an outrageous thing to do.

"I did plenty of that. I used to go down the shops with my mate Shareen and took Willow with me. And we used to go and look at boys!" Rose said.

"I only went because you forced me to," Willow pointed out to her. "I didn't want to go, honestly."

Gwyneth stopped laughing and suddenly looked scandalized at the mention of boys.

"Well," she said flatly, "I don't know much about that, miss."

Gwyneth turned back around and started washing up. Willow reached over (it was a small space) and started helping dry the dishes after they were washed.

"Come on, times haven't changed that much! I bet you've done the same," Rose insisted.

"I don't think so, miss," Gwyneth said, still trying to get off the subject. What gave her away, though, was the embarrassed flush that spread across her cheeks.

"Are you sure about that?" Willow asked with a small smile. She raised her eyebrow at the girl.

"Gwyneth! You can tell us! Bet you've got your eye on someone," Rose said, also noticing the blush.

"I suppose. There is one lad..." Gwyneth admitted. "The butcher's boy. He comes by every Tuesday. Such a lovely smile on him!"

"Oh, I like a nice smile. Good smile, nice bum," Rose said with a wink.

"Rose!" Willow said, flushing at her cousin's embarrassing comment.

Gwyneth looked shocked and scandalized again.

"Well, I have never heard the like!" Gwyneth said.

Rose laughed, and Gwyneth and Willow let out small giggles as well.

"Ask him out! Give him a cup of tea or something, that's a start," Rose said. She had always known her way around boys and was the one Willow always gone to if she had boy problems.

"I swear, it is the strangest thing, miss. You've both got all the clothes and breeding but you both talk like some sort of wild things!" Gwyneth said.

"Not me!" Willow said shyly, blushing at her words. "I'm not…wild."

"Maybe I am. Maybe that's a good thing. You need a bit more in your life than Mr. Sneed," Rose told the girl

"Ah, now that's not fair. He's not so bad, old Sneed. He was very kind to me to take me in. Because I lost my mum and dad to the flu when I was twelve," Gwyneth said.

"I'm sorry, Gwyneth," Willow said, putting her hand over the girl's and patting it in comfort. "I know what that's like. I lost my parents, too, when I was young."

"I know," Gwyneth said, causing Willow to do a double take at her words. How on earth could she possibly know? She'd only just told her but she said those two little words as if she had know for much longer.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Rose said.

"Thank you, misses, both of you. But I'll be with them again, one day, just like you will, Miss Willow. Sitting with them in paradise. I should be so blessed. They're waiting for me. Maybe your dad's up there waiting for you too, miss," Gwyneth said to Rose.

"Maybe," Rose said, nodding, but the realized something. "Um, who told you he was dead? Did you, Willow?"

Willow shook her head slowly and said, "No."

Gwyneth realized what she had said and turned back around to wash again.

"I don't know, must've been the Doctor," Gwyneth said lightly, trying to ease the tension that had gathered in the room.

"My father died years back," Rose said.

"The Doctor didn't know about him," Willow whispered, almost too quietly for anyone to hear.

"You've been thinking about him lately, more than ever," Gwyneth told Rose.

"I s'pose so...how do you know all this?" Rose asked, bewildered.

"Mr. Sneed says I think too much. I'm all alone down here. I bet you've got dozens of servants, haven't you misses?" Gwyneth asked the both of them.

All three girls laughed; Willow and Rose laughing in disbelief.

"No, no servants where I'm from, unless you count Willow," Rose said, indicating to her cousin with a laugh. Willow flushed as the attention was turned on her. She absolutely hated attention. She had spent most of her life being invisible and now suddenly, she wasn't.

"And you've both come a long way," Gwyneth said in a distant voice.

"What makes you think that?" Rose asked, once again bewildered. Willow furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"You're both from London. I've seen London in drawings, but never like that. All those people rushing about...Half naked, for shame. And the noise...and the metal boxes racing past...and the birds in the sky...they're metal as well. Metal birds with people in them. People flying. And you—you've both flown so far, further than anyone! The things you both have seen...the darkness...the big Bad Wolf—I'm sorry! I'm sorry, misses!" Gwyneth said, looking afraid.

"S'alright..." Rose said.

"It's okay, Gwyneth," Willow said, patting the girl on the shoulder in comfort.

"I can't help it—ever since I was a little girl. My mum said I had the sight. She told me to hide it!" Gwyneth said.

"But it's getting stronger. More powerful, is that right?" the Doctor asked from the doorway. All three girls jumped and Willow gave a slight scowl in his direction. That was the second time he had scared her that day. Any more and she was going to die from a heart attack, never mind the dead bodies.

"All the time, sir. Every night. Voices in my head," Gwyneth said to him.

"You grew up on top of the rift. You're part of it. You're the key," the Doctor realized.

"I've tried to make sense of it, sir. Consulted with spiritualists, table wrappers, all sorts," Gwyneth said.

"Well, that should help. You can show us what to do," the Doctor insisted to her.

"What to do where, sir?" Gwyneth asked, confused. There seemed to be a lot of that going around here: confusion.

"We're going to have a séance," the Doctor said.

Rose and Willow looked at each other, both thinking the same thought: Was the Doctor crazy? Willow gave a slight snort. She thought the Doctor was crazy. She had never believed in the whole psychic thing. It just wasn't her cup of tea. With the Doctor, though, it seemed like it was very much possible, if Gwyneth was anything to go on.

Willow, Gwyneth, and Rose followed the Doctor from the kitchen and back into the parlour, where the men set up a table in the middle and the group sat around it.

"This is how Madam Mortlock summons those from the Lands of Mists. Down in Mid Town. Come. We must all join hands," Gwyneth informed them.

"I can't take part in this," Dickens scoffed at the nonsense, getting up to leave the table.

"Humbug? Come on, open mind," the Doctor said, trying to talk him 'round.

"This is precisely the sort of cheap mummery I try to un-mask. Séances? Nothing but luminous tambourines and a squeeze box concealed between the knees. This girl knows nothing," Dickens said.

"Hey!" Willow snapped at him, surprising everyone. Charles Dickens was taken aback by the normally soft-spoken girl that regarded him as an amazing writer. Willow took a deep breath and put her hand on Gwyneth's. "Leave her alone," she said in a calmer, more Willow-like voice.

"Now, don't antagonize her. I love a happy medium," the Doctor said, joking.

"I can't believe you just said that," Rose said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Come on, we might need you," the Doctor said to Dickens, encouraging him to sit down again, which he did.

"Good man. Now, Gwyneth. Reach out," the Doctor said.

Willow joined hands with Dickens, which he did reluctantly (not because of her, of course) and on her other side, she took the Doctor's hand, flushing as she did. She also ignored all the tingles that went through her hand at the contact.

"Speak to us. Are you there? Spirits?" Gwyneth said and Dickens rolled his eyes.

"Come. Speak to us that we may relieve your burden," Gwyneth said. She raised her eyes to the ceiling and a low murmuring filled the room.

"Can you hear that?" Rose asked, looking around, a little startled.

"Yes, I can," Clara breathed, also startled. The Doctor squeezed her hand in comfort but it only managed to send an electric current up her arm and a shudder went down her spine.

"Nothing can happen. This is sheer folly," Dickens said, but looked unsettled.

"Look at her," Rose said, nodding her head at Gwyneth, who had her eyes wide.

"I feel them. I feel them!" Gwyneth exclaimed and the gas creatures that had possessed the bodies began to fill the room.

"What're they saying?" Rose asked, curious.

"They can't get through the rift. Gwyneth, it's not controlling you, you're controlling it. Now look deep. Allow them through," the Doctor said to the woman.

"I can't!" Gwyneth cried out.

"Yes you can. Just believe it. I have faith in you, Gwyneth. Make the link," the Doctor said, reassuring her.

Gwyneth looked like she was in pain. She suddenly lowered her head, no longer looking to the ceiling, and opened her eyes.

"Yes," Gwyneth said, as if talking to someone else. Three of the gas figures appeared behind Gwyneth, taking on humanoid form and Dickens' mouth dropped open in shock and disbelief.

"Great God. Spirits from the other side!" Sneed exclaimed in fear.

"The other side of the universe," the Doctor explained to them.

"Pity us. Pity the Gelth. There is so little time, help us," the gas figures, or the Gelth, said.

"What do you want us to do?" the Doctor asked.

"The rift," the Gelth said. "Take the girl to the rift. Make the bridge."

"What for?" the Doctor asked.

"We are so very few. The last of our kind. We face extinction," the Gelth said.

"Why, what happened?" the Doctor said, wanting to know.

"Once we had a physical form like you. But then the war came," the Gelth said.

"War? What war?" Dickens asked, deciding to speak up.

"The Time War," the Gelth said.

The Doctor, Rose, and Willow all looked at each other and Willow noticed the sadness and guilt in the Doctor's eyes. She squeezed his hand in comfort, much like he had done for her earlier

"The whole universe convulsed. The Time War raged invisible to smaller species but devastating to higher forms. Out bodies wasted away. We're trapped in this gaseous state," the Gelth said.

"So that's why you need the corpses," the Doctor said with compassion.

"We want to stand tall. To feel the sunlight. To live again. We need a physical form, and your dead are abandoned. They're going to waste, give them to us!" the Gelth said.

"But we can't!" Rose said, horrified at the thought.

"Why not?" the Doctor asked.

"It's not...I mean, it's not..." Rose stuttered.

"It's wrong!" Willow said quietly but passionately.

"Not decent? Not polite? It could save their lives," the Doctor said.

They all started at each other for a moment, arguing without saying any words out loud.

"Open the rift. Let the Gelth through. We're dying. Help us. Pity the Gelth!"

They disappeared and Gwyneth collapsed face-first onto the table. Rose and Willow both jumped up and went to check on her to make sure she was okay.

"Gwyneth!" Rose and Willow both called to the girl, shaking her, but she was unconscious.

"All true," Dickens said, still sitting there, stunned.

"Are you okay?" Rose asked Gwyneth, but she didn't answer. The Doctor helped Rose and Willow mover her onto the sofa, where they let her rest.

"It's all true," Dickens repeated, no less shocked.

The Doctor didn't say anything to anyone; he just stood in the corner, brooding. Willow ignored him as she found a rag and a pitcher of water and Rose started mopping up Gwyneth's forehead. A few minutes later, Gwyneth slowly opened her eyes and immediately started fidgeting.

"It's alright. You just sleep," Rose said as Willow started stroking Gwyneth's hair from her face in comfort.

"But my angels, misses. They came, didn't they? They need me?" Gwyneth asked, looking in their eyes for an answer and got one from Willow's nervous shifting.

The Doctor was leaning against the wall behind Rose and Willow and said, "They do need you, Gwyneth. You're they're only chance of survival."

"I've told you, leave her alone. She's exhausted and she's not fighting your battles," Rose said to him angrily.

The Doctor leaned his head back against the wall and sighed. Rose turned back to Gwyneth and Willow passed to Rose and she offered Gwyneth a drink.

"Drink this," Rose said kindly to the weak girl.

"Well, what did you say, Doctor? Explain it again. What are they?" Sneed asked.

"Aliens," the Doctor said simply.

"Like...foreigners, you mean?" Sneed asked, confused by his meaning.

"Pretty foreign, yeah. From up there," the Doctor said, pointing upwards.

"Brecon?" Sneed asked, still confused.

"Close. They've been trying to get through from Brecon to Cardiff but the road's blocked. Only a few can get through and even then they're weak. They can only test drive the bodies for so long, then they have to revert to gas and hide in the pipes," the Doctor explained.

"Which is why they need the girl," Dickens said, understanding.

They're not having her," Rose snarled.

"Absolutely not," Willow agreed quietly.

"But she can help. Living on the rift, she's become part of it, she can open it up, make a bridge and let them through," the Doctor argued with the two cousins.

"Incredible. Ghosts that are not ghosts but beings from another world who can only exist in our world by inhabiting cadavers," Dickens said.

"Good systems. It might work," the Doctor said, nodding his head.

Rose stood up and walked right over to the Doctor and got in his face.

"You can't let them run around inside dead people!" she yelled at him.

"Why not? It's like recycling," the Doctor said, trying to make her see sense.

"Seriously though, you can't," Rose said, wrinkling her nose at him at the thought of dead bodies wondering the earth. It was unnatural.

"Seriously though, I can," the Doctor said, trying to get the last say.

"No, Doctor, you can't," Willow said gently, laying her hand on his arm.

"It's just...wrong! Those bodies were living people! We should respect them even in death!" Rose said, her eyes blazing.

"Do you carry a donor card?" the Doctor asked suddenly.

"That's different, that's-" Rose said, but the Doctor interrupted.

"It is different, yeah. It's a different morality. Get used to it or go home," the Doctor said harshly and Rose stayed silent, slightly hurt. The Doctor then spoke to her in a softer tone. "You heard what they said, time's short. I can't worry about a few corpses when the last of the Gelth could dying."

"I don't care, they're not using her," Rose still argued.

"Don't I get a say, misses?" Gwyneth asked Rose and Willow softly.

Rose, Willow, and the Doctor all turned and looked at her, Willow looking at her with concerned eyes.

"Look, you don't understand what's going on," Rose said.

"You would say that miss. Because that's very clever inside your head, that you think I'm stupid," Gwyneth said.

"That's not fair!" Rose said, her eyes wide and mouth gaping. Willow hung her head in shame. She didn't think that Gwyneth was stupid, but she was just concerned about her new friend. She should have let her speak for herself, though.

"It's true, though. Things might be very different where you're from. But here and now, I know my own mind. And the angels need me. Doctor, what do I have to do?" Gwyneth asked.

"You don't _have_ to do anything," the Doctor told her, after sparing a glance at Rose and Willow.

"They've been singing to me since I was a child. Sent by my mum on a holy mission. So tell me," Gwyneth said.

The Doctor smiled at her and said, "We need to find the rift. This house is on a weak spot, so there must be a spot that's weaker than any other. Mr. Sneed. What's the weakest part of this house? The place where most of the ghosts have been seen?"

"That would be the Morgue," Sneed said.

"No chance you were gonna say 'gazebo', was there?" Rose asked sourly.

Willow turned (along with everyone else in the room) and stared at her cousin, her eyebrow raised in question. As everyone walked down to the Morgue, Willow walked by Gwyneth and took the girl's hand in hers.

"You know, you don't have to do this. The Doctor's clever. I'm sure he could figure something else out," Willow told her gently.

"Thank you, Miss, but I _need_ to help my angels," Gwyneth told her.

"Alright, and, I don't think you're stupid, Gwyneth. Neither does Rose," Willow said quietly, squeezing the girl's hand.

"Thank you, again, Miss, but it really doesn't make a difference now," Gwyneth said, giving Willow a small smile. Sneed unlocked the Morgue and they all went in, lead by the Doctor.

"Talk about Bleak House," the Doctor said, looking around. Willow hugged herself, rubbing her arms, as it was very cold down there.

"The thing is, Doctor—the Gelth don't succeed. 'Cause I know they don't. I know for a fact there weren't corpses walking around in 1869," Rose said.

"Time's in a flux," the Doctor said. "It's changing every second. Your cozy little world could be rewritten like that." He snapped his fingers. "Nothing is safe. Remember that. Nothing."

"Doctor—I think the room is getting colder," Dickens observed. Willow shivered and let out a breath, watching it cloud out in front of her face.

"Here they come," Rose said.

Willow hugged her arms to her chest even tighter, as it was, indeed, colder. The Gelth flooded into the room. One separated itself from the rest and floated under an archway. It sounded like a child when it spoke.

"You have come to help! Praise the Doctor! Praise him!" it spoke.

"Promise you won't hurt her!" Rose burst out.

"Hurry! Please. So little time. Pity the Gelth," it said.

"I'll take you somewhere else after the transfer. Somewhere you can build proper bodies. This isn't a permanent solution, alright?" the Doctor said.

"My angles. I can help them live," Gwyneth said.

"Okay, where's the weak point?" the Doctor asked.

"Here, beneath the arch," the Gelth said.

Gwyneth walked over and positioned herself under the arch and then said, " Beneath the arch."

Rose rushed up to her and said, "You don't have to do this."

Willow was crying softly, tears rolling down her cheeks as Gwyneth placed her hands on Rose's cheeks and said, "My angels."

Rose staggered backwards and stood beside Willow, who took her hand. Willow was starting to get a bad feeling in her gut, unsure about what they were doing.

"Establish the bridge, reach out of the void, let us through!" the Gelth cried.

"Yes. I can see you! I can see you! Come!" Gwyneth said.

"Bridgehead establishing," the Gelth said.

"Come! Come to me! Come to this world, poor lost souls!" Gwyneth called.

"It is begun! The bridge is made!" the Gelth said and Gwyneth's mouth opened and Gelth started to pour out of her.

"She has given herself to the Gelth!" the Gelth declared.

"There's rather a lot of them, eh?" Dickens said, looking at them, uncertain.

"The bridge is open. We descend!" the Gelth said.

The figures suddenly became scary-looking, causing Willow to step back in fright. Gone was the innocent looking spirit and in its place was a red evil-looking demon. One flew right up in Willow's face, causing her to shriek and try and bat it away with her hands. The Doctor reached over and tucked her safely in his side.

"The Gelth will come through in force," the Gelth said.

"You said that you were _few_ in number!" Dickens said.

"A few billion. And all of us in need of corpses," the Gelth said.

All around them, bodies started to rise off of the tables and advance on the living.

"Gwyneth...stop this! Listen to your master! This has gone far enough. Stop dabbling, child, leave these things alone. I beg of you-" Sneed said.

"Mr. Sneed! Get back!" Rose shouted in fright.

"No!" Willow called out as a corpse grabbed Mr. Sneed from behind, breaking his neck and then held onto him while a Gelth entered his body through his mouth. Willow jumped back even further, away from Sneed, as he looked at them through blank, dead eyes. Willow thought she was going to be sick.

"I think it's gone a little bit wrong," the Doctor said faintly.

"No, you think?" Willow asked in a high-pitched voice in panic, which was unlike her.

"I have joined the legions of the Gelth. Come. March with me," Sneed announced in a raspy voice.

"No!" Dickens yelled as the corpses started to advance on the Doctor, Rose, and Willow from all sides, except for behind them.

"We need bodies. All of you. Dead. The human race. Dead," the Gelth said.

The bodies backed the Doctor, Rose, and Willow against a dungeon door, effectively pinning them in place.

"Gwyneth, stop them! Send them back! Now!" the Doctor yelled out hopelessly.

"Three more bodies. Make them vessels for the Gelth," the leader of the Gelth said.

"I—I can't! I'm sorry!" Dickens said, scared for his life.

The Doctor looked behind him, spotted the dungeon door, and pushed both Rose and Willow inside, following them and slammed it shut, so that the three of them were locked in.

"It's too much for me! I'm so-" Dickens said. He was cut off as on of the Gelth screeched and reached for him. Dickens jumped and ran from the Morgue. The corpses were all trying to get into the dungeon. Willow cowered against the back wall, clamping her hands over her ears to try and block out the screeching of the Gelth.

"Give yourself to glory. Sacrifice your lives for the Gelth."

"I trusted you. I pitied you!" the Doctor shouted at the aliens.

"We don't want your pity!" the Gelth said. "We want this world and all its flesh."

"Not while I'm alive," the Doctor snarled.

"Then live no more," the Gelth answered.

The three of them were as flat against the dungeon wall, as far from the corpses as possible. Willow was sobbing silently, scared. But the funny thing was, she was scared for the Doctor and Rose, not so much for herself.

"But we can't die," Rose said, looking at the Doctor, terrified. "Me and Willow. Tell me we can't! We haven't even been born yet, it's impossible for us to die! Isn't it?" Rose was freaking out. Willow was panicking also, but on the inside. She was panicking for the human race that was about to be wiped out from the evil aliens.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said, looking at them, his eyes full of apology and pity.

"But it's 1869, how can we die now?" Rose asked, scared and confused.

"Time isn't a straight line. It can twist into any shape. You can be born in the 20th century and die in the 19th and it's all my fault. I brought you both here," the Doctor said.

"It's not your fault," Rose said. Willow nodded in agreement, touching his arm gently. "We both wanted to come. Right?" she asked Willow.

"Right," Willow said firmly, taking the Doctor's hand, finally gaining some confidence.

"What about me? I saw the fall of Troy! World War Five! I pushed boxes at the Boston Tea Party, now I'm going to die in a dungeon! In Cardiff!" the Doctor said, sounding horrified at the fact he was going to die in Cardiff.

"It's not just dying," Rose said. "We'll become one of them."

"I don't want to be a Gelth zombie," Willow said. The Doctor noticed her tears and pulled his hand from hers and pulled her into his side for a hug.

"We'll go down fighting, yeah?" Rose asked, a determined look entering her eyes.

"Yeah," the Doctor said.

"Yup," Willow said, a bit shakily though, but no less determined.

"All together?" Rose asked, looking at her cousin and her new best friend.

"Yeah!" the Doctor said and the three of them linked hands.

"I'm so glad I met the two of you," the Doctor said, looking down at them.

Rose looked surprised and said, "Me, too."

"Me, three," Willow said, and the three of them smiled at each other, knowing that this was their last moments together. Right at that moment, Charles Dickens rushed back into the room, startling the three time travelers.

"Doctor! Turn _off_ the flame, turn _up_ the gas! Now fill the room, all of it, now!" Dickens said, running around the room, dodging the corpses and turning up the gas in the lamps.

"What're you doing?" the Doctor asked, confused.

"Turn it all on! Gas the place!" Dickens said, not really explaining anything.

"Brilliant. Gas!" the Doctor suddenly exclaimed.

"What, so we choke to death instead?" Rose asked, still confused.

"Oh, brilliant!" Willow breathed, understanding. She had loved Science class in school, after all.

"Am I correct, Doctor? These creatures are gaseous!" Dickens asked, confirming his theory.

"Fill the room with gas, it'll draw them out of the host. Suck them into the air like poison from a wound!" the Doctor said. Willow then sucked in a breath, concerned for Charles Dickens.

The corpses had decided to leave the three unreachable live people in the dungeon alone and instead they went after Dickens, who was out, about, and free in the room.

"I hope...oh, Lord. I hope that this theory will be validated soon," Dickens said as the corpses advanced dangerously close to him. "If not immediately," he said, shrinking back in fear.

"Plenty more!" the Doctor said. He smashed a gas canister against the wall and all the Gelth were sucked from the bodies, screaming.

"It's working," Dickens said in wonder.

The Doctor, Rose and Willow were now free from the Gelth and left the dungeon. Willow was glad to be out, but they weren't out of trouble yet.

"Gwyneth! Send them back! They lied, they're not angels," the Doctor said, trying to persuade the girl.

"Liars," Gwyneth said, confused.

"Look at me. If your mother and father could look down and see this, they'd tell you the same. They'd give you the strength. Now send them back!" the Doctor said.

Both Rose and Willow started chocking on the gas then, as it filled the room. "Can't breathe," Rose chocked out.

"Charles, get them out," the Doctor ordered the writer.

Charles grabbed one of Rose's arms and one of Willow's, but both girls shook him off.

"We're not leaving her!" Rose declared, still coughing slightly from the gas.

"She's our friend, we can't leave her!" Willow said, holding Rose's arm for support for both of them.

"They're too strong," Gwyneth said.

"Remember that world you saw? Rose and Willow's world? All those people—none of it will exist unless you send them back through the rift," the Doctor explained to the girl.

"I can't send them back. But I can hold them. Hold them in this place, hold them here. Get out," Gwyneth said, firmly. She reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a box of matches. Both Rose and Willow rushed forward frightened for the girl, but the Doctor held them back.

"You can't!" Rose exclaimed.

"Leave this place!" Gwyneth said.

The Doctor grabbed both girls' shoulders and tugged them back gently

"Rose, Willow, get out, go now! I won't leave her while she's still in danger, now go!" the Doctor said, pushing them to the exit of the morgue.

"No! Doctor! Gwyneth!" Willow called, as Charles tried to use what strength he possessed to pulled her and Rose out of the Morgue.

"This way!" Charles said, as he led the girls through the dark, gas-filled house. They exited the house and waited outside in the cold and the snow for the Doctor and Gwyneth. A minute later, the house erupted in flames and the Doctor dove out of the doorway, just in time. Willow rushed forward to see if he was alright, but Rose just fixed him with a look. Willow grabbed his elbow, pulling him to his feet and then looked him over for injuries. Not seeing any, she stepped back and also gave him a look.

"She didn't make it," Rose said flatly.

"I'm sorry. She closed the rift," the Doctor said, his tone full of apologies.

"At such a cost. The poor child," Charles said, hanging his head.

Rose didn't look away from the Doctor. Willow just looked at her feet in sadness, not able to meet anyone's eyes, not that she really could before.

"I did try, Rose, Willow, but Gwyneth was already dead. She had been for at least five minutes," the Doctor explained to them.

"What do you mean?" Rose asked, confused and sad.

"I think she was dead from the minute she stood in that arch," the Doctor admitted.

"But...she can't have, she spoke to us. She helped us—she saved us. How could she have done that?" Rose asked in shock.

"There are more things in Heaven and Earth that are dreamt of in your philosophy. Even for you, Doctor," Charles said.

"She saved the world. A servant girl. No one will ever know," Rose said.

"We will. We will always know," Willow whispered, looking up at the burning house, tears gathering in her eyes.

Eventually, the trio couldn't look at the burning building any longer and made their way back to the Tardis, Charles Dickens in tow.

"Right then, Charlie-boy, I've just got to go into my um...shed. Won't be long!" the Doctor said, putting his key into the lock, unlocking the door.

"What're you going to do now?" Rose asked Dickens.

"I shall take the mail coach back to London. Quite literally post-haste. This is no time for me to be on my own. I shall spend Christmas with my family and make amends to them. After all I've learned tonight, there can be nothing more vital," Charles said with a smile on his face.

"You've cheered up!" the Doctor said.

"Exceedingly! This morning, I thought I knew everything in the world and now I know I've just started! All these huge and wonderful notions, Doctor! I'm inspired. I must write about them!" Charles exclaimed happily, his mind teeming with ideas.

"Do you think that's wise?" Rose asked, Willow thinking the same thing. People weren't ready to know about the supernatural yet, not even in 2005.

"I shall be subtle at first. The Mystery of Edwin Drood still lacks an ending. Perhaps the killer was not the boy's uncle. Perhaps he was not of this earth. The Mystery of Edwin Drood and the Blue Elementals. I can spread the word! Tell the truth!" Charles said.

"Good luck with it. Nice to meet you," the Doctor said, shaking Charles' hand. "Fantastic." He turned back to the Tardis door.

"Bye, then. And, thanks," Rose said, kissing Charles' cheek and he looked very surprised.

"Oh, my dear—how modern. Thank you, but, I don't understand—in what way is this goodbye? Where are you going?" Charles asked, confused.

"You'll see. In the shed," the Doctor said, and opened the Tardis door to let the girls in.

"Oh, my soul. Doctor, it's one riddle after another with you. But after all these revelations, there's one mystery you still haven't explained. Answer me this—who are you?" Charles asked.

The Doctor paused before answering, "Just a friend. Passing through."

"But you have such knowledge of future times. I don't wish to impose on you, but I must ask you. My books. Doctor—do they last?" Charles asked.

"Oh, yes!" the Doctor said in excitement.

"For how long?" Charles asked.

"Forever!" the Doctor answered.

Charles looked very pleased with himself, as well as happy.

"Right. Shed. Come on, Rose, Willow..."

The Doctor and Rose turned to the door, but Willow turned and walked up to Charles.

"Thank you, Mr. Dickens. It was a great pleasure meeting you," she said, and kissed him lightly on the lips and went up to the Doctor and Rose, flushing a deep red. She didn't meet their eyes as she walked in the entrance of the Tardis and hid just inside so she could still hear.

"In—in the box? All three of you?" Charles asked, still in a bit of shock from Willow's kiss.

"Down boy. See ya!" the Doctor joked. Rose and the Doctor entered the Tardis and Willow shut the door after them.

"Doesn't that change history if he writes about blue ghosts?" Rose asked.

"In a weeks time it's 1870, and that's the year he dies. Sorry. He'll never get to tell his story," the Doctor said. They all huddled around the screen, where they can see Charles still standing outside.

"Oh, no! He was so nice," Rose said sadly.

"But in your time, he was already dead! We've brought him back to life! He's more alive now than he's ever been, old Charlie-boy. Let's give him one last surprise," the Doctor said.

He hit a button and the engines came to life. The three of them smiled as they watched Charles' face when the Tardis disappeared right before his eyes. Willow giggled quietly, holding her hand over her mouth.

They all laughed hard, when Willow announced quietly, "Okay. I've got to change. These shoes are killing me!" and ran off to the wardrobe.


	4. Aliens of London

The TARDIS materialized outside Powell Estate, the place that Rose Tyler and Clara Tyler had called home. The Doctor, Rose, and Clara stepped out of the blue time machine and the Doctor leaned against the door and folded his arms across his chest.

"How long have we been gone?" Rose asked.

"About 12 hours," the Doctor answered and they all laughed.

"Feels like days to me," Clara said.

"Oooh! Right, we won't be long, we're just gonna see my mum," Rose said.

"What're you two going to tell her?" the Doctor asked.

"Not sure," Clara said, frowning.

"I don't know! We've been to the year 5 billion...and only been gone, what, 12 hours?" Rose said.

The Doctor gave something that sounded like a cross between a laugh and a snort.

"What was that?" Clara asked, laughing at the Doctor. He just gave her a look as Rose said, "No, I'll just tell her we've spent the night at Shareens. See you later!"

She grabbed Clara's arm and turned around, pulling her along.

"Oh," Rose said, turning back around. "Don't you disappear."

The Doctor gave the girls a look that said, 'as if I would' and the girls ran off in the direction of Jackie's flat. Rose and Clara ran up the stairs to the flat, grinning.

"This is brilliant, isn't it?" Clara said, also grinning.

"Yeah," Rose said.

Meanwhile, the Doctor was wondering around outside with his arms folded and kicked an empty bottle across the yard. He spotted a poster taped to a lamppost. He walked over to it and read the writing on it. It read, 'CAN YOU HELP?' with pictures of both Rose and Clara.

The girls opened the door to the flat and Rose called out, "We're back! It was Shareen. She was all upset again. Are you in?"

Jackie walked out of the kitchen holding a mug of tea.

"So, what's been going on? How've you been?" Rose asked.

Jackie just continued staring at them as if she had seen a ghost.

"What? What's that face for? It's not the first time we've stayed out all night," Rose said.

Jackie just dropped her mug of tea and it smashed on the floor.

"Aunt Jackie? Mum?" Clara said.

"It's you. It's both of you," Jackie said.

"Of course it's us!" Rose said.

"Oh, my gosh. It's you. Oh, my gosh," Jackie said. She threw her arms around both of the girls, who looked alarmed. Over Jackie's shoulder, Clara noticed 'Where are Rose and Clara?' posters. At that moment, the Doctor came crashing in.

"It's not 12 hours, it's er...12 months. You've both been gone a whole year," the Doctor said, laughing, while all three women looked at him, stunned.

"Sorry," the Doctor said.

Jackie looked back at Rose and Clara stroking both of their hair.

Outside, while Jackie, Rose, and Clara are having a reunion, a small boy was spraying the words 'Bad Wolf' onto the side of the TARDIS. He picked up his bike and rode away.

"The house I've sat here. Days and weeks and months all on my own. I thought you both were dead. And where were you? Traveling. What the hell does that mean? Traveling? That's not sort of answer," Jackie furiously said.

Rose was sitting in an armchair and Clara on the sofa. A policeman was sitting in the other armchair.

"You ask them. They won't tell me! That's all they say. Traveling," Jackie said to the policeman.

"That's all we were doing," Rose said.

"We promise, Mum," Clara said.

"When both of your passports are still in the drawer? It's just one lie after another!" Jackie said.

"I meant to phone, I really did, I just...I forgot," Rose said.

"What, for a year? You forgot for a year? And I am left sitting here? I just don't believe the two of you. Why won't you tell me where you've both been?" Jackie said.

"Actually, it's my fault," the Doctor said. "I sort of er, employed Rose and Clara as my companions."

"When you say 'companions', is this a sexual relationship?" the policeman asked.

"No!" Rose, Clara, and the Doctor all yelled.

"The what is it?" Jackie asked, advancing on the Doctor. "Because you, you waltz in here all charms and smiles, and the next thing I know, they vanish off the face of the earth! How old are you then? 40? 45? What, you find them on the Internet? Did you go online and pretend you're a doctor?"

"I AM a Doctor!" the Doctor said.

"Prove it! Stitch this, mate," Jackie said. She slapped him hard, right across the face. The Doctor groaned and Rose rolled her eyes. Clara smirked and flinched at the same time.

Jackie went into the kitchen and Rose and Clara followed. Jackie hugged Rose and then her niece.

"Did either of you think about me at all?" Jackie asked.

All three women were crying and Rose said, "I did! All the time! But..."

"One phone call. Just to know that you were both alive!" Jackie said.

"I'm sorry. I really am," Rose said.

"I am, too, Auntie Jackie, honestly," Clara said, fingering her tightly curled red hair nervously.

"Do you know what terrifies me, is that you both still can't say. What happened to you, Rose, Clara? What could be so bad that you both can't tell me, sweethearts? Where were you?" Jackie said.

Both Clara and Rose can't answer her, because if they did, she would've thought they were crazy or lying.

At their first chance, Rose, Clara and the Doctor fled to the roof. Rose and Clara both sat on the wall and the Doctor leaned against it.

"We can't tell her. I can't even _begin_...she's never gonna forgive us. And we missed a year? Was it good?" Rose said.

"Middling," the Doctor said.

"You're so useless," Rose said.

"Well, if it's this much trouble, are you both gonna stay here now?" the Doctor asked.

"I don't really want to. I can't imagine life without traveling with you now," Clara said.

"I dunno. I can't do that to her again, though," Rose said.

"Absolutely," Clara said.

"Well, she's not coming with us," the Doctor said.

Rose and Clara both burst out laughing and the Doctor joined in.

"No chance," Clara said.

"I don't do families," the Doctor said.

"But we're both here," Clara said.

"That's different," the Doctor said.

"She slapped you!" Rose exclaimed.

"900 years of time and space, and I've never been slapped by someone's mother," the Doctor said.

"Your face," Rose said.

"It hurt!" the Doctor said.

"You're so gay!" Rose said.

"I thought it was hilarious!" Clara said.

The Doctor rubbed his cheek, offended.

"When you say 900 years..." Rose said.

"That's my age," the Doctor said.

"Seriously?" Clara said in an unbelieving tone.

"You're nine hundred years old," Rose said.

"Yeah," the Doctor said.

"My mum was right—that is one hell of an age gap," Rose said. She jumped off the wall and Clara followed suite.

"Every conversation with you just goes mental. There's no one else I can talk to, beside Clara. I've seen all that stuff up there, the size of it, and I can't say a word. Aliens and spaceships and things, and we're the only people on planet earth who knows they exist."

As if on cue, a spaceship flew right over their heads, narrowly missing them. It was falling from the sky and heading straight for Central London. It smashed into Big Ben, then landed with a splash in the Thames. The Doctor, Rose, and Clara were all staring at it with their mouths gaping.

"Oh, that's just not fair," Rose said.

The Doctor laughed gleefully, grabbed both the girls' hands and pulled them towards the direction of the crash.

When they arrived, it was complete chaos in the streets.

"It's blocked off," the Doctor said.

"We're miles from the centre. The scene must be grid locked. The whole of London must be closing down," Rose said.

"I know, I can't BELIEVE I'm here to see this! This is fantastic!" the Doctor said.

"It's pretty awesome," Clara said.

"Did you know this was going to happen?" Rose asked.

"Nope!" the Doctor said.

"Do you recognize the ship?" Rose asked.

"Nope!"

"Do you know why it crashed?" Rose asked.

"Nope!" the Doctor answered yet again.

"Oh, I'm so glad we've got you," Rose said.

"I bet you are! This is what I travel for, Rose, Clara! To see history happening right in front of us," the Doctor said.

"Well, let's go and see it! Never mind the traffic, we've got the TARDIS!" Rose said.

"Better not. They've already got one spaceship in the middle of London, don't want to shove another one on top," the Doctor said.

"Yeah, but yours looks like a big blue box. No one's going to notice," Rose said.

"You'll be surprised, an emergency like this—there'll be all kinds of people watching. Trust me, the TARDIS stays where it is," the Doctor said.

"So, history's happening and we're stuck here," Rose said.

"Yes, we are," the Doctor said.

"We could always do what everybody else does," Rose said.

Clara and the Doctor both looked at her, wondering what she was thinking.

"We could watch it on TV," Rose said.

The Doctor and Clara both looked as if they had never thought of that before.

In the Tylers' flat, the Doctor, Rose, and Clara were sitting around, watching the news.

"Big Ben destroyed as a UFO crash lands in Central London. Police reinforcements are drafted in from across the country to control widespread panic, looting and civil disturbance. A state of national emergency has been declared. Tom Hitchinson is at the scene," the news reader said.

"The police urge the public not to panic. There's a help line number on screen right now if you're worried about friends or family," the reporter said.

Clara had the remote and switched the TV over to an American news channel.

"The military are on the lookout for more spaceships. Until then, all flights in North American air space have been grounded," the news reporter said.

Clara switched it back to News 24.

"The army are sending divers into the wreak of the spaceship. No one knows what they're going to find," the news reader said.

Clara flipped back to the American channel.

"The President will address the nation live from the White House. But the Secretary General has asked that people watch the skies," the American news reader said.

Jackie walked in and handed Rose and Clara a cup of tea. Clara sipped at her Earl Grey tea as Jackie said, "I've got no choice! Either I make him welcome, or I run the risk of never seeing the two of you again!"

Jackie's friend Marianna was over and they were both babbling angrily.

"Oi! I'm trying to listen!" the Doctor said.

"...his current whereabouts. News is just coming in, we can go to Tom at the embankments," the News 24 reader said.

"They've found a body," the reporter announced.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows.

"It's unconfirmed but I'm being told a body has been found in the wreckage. A body of non-terrestrial origins. It's being brought ashore," the reporter continued.

There was a crowd gathered in the living room now and Jackie came back into the room and handed a bottle of wine to a couple of people.

"Oh, guess who asked me out—Billy Crewe," Jackie said.

The Doctor shook his head and Clara rolled her eyes.

"Unconfirmed reports say that the body _is_ of extra-terrestrial origin. An extraordinary event unfolding here live here in Central London. They body is being transferred to a secure unit mortuary. The whereabouts is yet unknown," the reporter said.

Clara flipped through a few more channels, until the remote was snatched from her hands from a toddler that was seated on the Doctor's lap next to her. The toddler pressed buttons on the remote, effectively flipping through channels, coming to rest on Blue Peter.

"And when you've stuck your things on, you can cover the whole lot..." the Blue Peter presenter said.

The Doctor tried to wrestle the remote from the toddler, but wasn't successful.

"Ooo, look at that. Then, ice it, any colour you want—here's one I made a little earlier—look at that. Your very own spaceship ready to eat. And there's something a little extra special-"

Clara played with the toddler and had gotten the remote back and switched it back to News 24.

"...in hospital," the news reader finished saying.

"We still don't know whether it's alive or dead. Whitehall is denying everything. But the body has been brought here, Albian Hospital, the roads closed off—it's the closest to the river," the reporter said.

The little boy hopped off the Doctor's lap and stood right in front of the TV screen.

"Go on!" the Doctor said.

"Come here, sweetheart," Clara said to the toddler. He toddled over to her and Clara smirked at the Doctor. Clara pulled the little boy up in her lap.

"I'm being told that...General Asquith is now entering the hospital. The building's evacuated. The patients have been moved out onto the streets. The police still won't confirm the presence of an alien body. Contained inside those walls is a complete mystery. On another subject, mystery still surrounds the whereabouts of the prime minister. He's not been seen since the emergency began. The opposition are criticizing his lack of leadership. Hold on-" the reporter said.

A man got out of a car on Downing Street, where the reporter is, and entered number 10 Downing Street.

"Oh—that's Joseph Green, MP for Hartley Dale. He's chairman of the parliamentary commission on the monitoring of sugar standards in exported confectionary. With respect, hardly the most important person right now," the reporter said.

It was dark when the Doctor slipped out the back door, with Rose and Clara right behind him.

"And where do you think you're going?" Rose asked.

"Nowhere! It's just a bit human in there for me. History just happened and they're talking about where you can buy dodgy top up cards for half price. I'm off on a wander, that's all," the Doctor said, defending himself.

"Right—there's a spaceship on the Thames and you're just 'wandering,'" Rose said.

"How is it I don't believe you?" Clara asked.

"Nothing to do with me!" the Doctor said. "It's not an invasion! That was a genuine crash landing. Angle of descent, colour of smoke, everything! It's perfect!"

"So..." Rose and Clara said at the same time.

"So maybe this is it! First contact! The day mankind officially comes into contact with an alien race. I'm not interfering because you've GOT to handle this on your own. That's when the human race finally grows up. Just this morning you were all tiny and small and made of clay! Now you can expand!" the Doctor said, and laughed in delight. Both Rose and Clara smile at him.

"You both don't need me—go and celebrate history. Spend some time with your mum," the Doctor said, and walked away.

"Promise you won't disappear?" Rose said for the second time that day.

The Doctor stopped and turned around. He started patting around his jacket pockets.

"Tell you what—TARDIS key," the Doctor said. He pulled two out of his jacket and handed one to each of them. "About time you both had one. See you later!" he said, grinning. He turned around and left. Rose turned around and went back inside, but Clara watched the Doctor until he was no longer visible, before following after her cousin.

Rose was sitting in the sitting room when Clara walked in. There was no more sitting room, so Clara pulled up a spot of carpet right by Rose's chair. Jackie was raising her glass of wine and toasted, "Here's to the Martians!"

"The Martians!" everyone echoed.

Mickey appeared in the door and the laughter died away as he started at Rose and Clara. The girls looked around to see why everyone was suddenly quiet, and Rose sat up quickly when she saw Mickey.

"Mickey!" Clara exclaimed jumping up and hugged him.

"I was gonna come and see you," Rose said. Clara released Mickey and stepped back. He just started at the girls.

"Someone owes Mickey an apology," a woman called out.

"I'm sorry," Rose said.

"Sorry, Mickey," Clara said.

"Not you two," the woman said, looking at Jackie.

"It's not my fault. Be fair. What was I supposed to think?" Jackie said. She gave Mickey a look and walked into the kitchen. Clara, Rose, and Mickey followed her.

"What does she mean?" Clara asked.

"You two disappear—who do they turn to? Your boyfriend," he said to Rose. "Five times, I was taken in for questioning. Five times. No evidence, of course there couldn't be, could there. And then I get her—your mother. Whispering around the estate—pointing the finger—stuff through my letterbox—and all 'cos of you two," Mickey said.

"We didn't think we'd be gone so long," Rose said.

"And I waited for you, Rose! Twelve months. Waiting for you, Clara, and the Doctor to come back," Mickey said.

"Hold on, you knew about the Doctor? Why didn't you tell me?" Jackie said.

Mickey noticed someone trying to listen through the little window in the kitchen. He slammed the door to the window shut and closed the kitchen door.

"Yeah, yeah. Why not, Rose? Huh? How could I tell her where you went?" Mickey said.

"Tell me now," Jackie said.

"I might as well, 'cos you're stuck here. The Doctor's gone. Just now, that box thing just faded away," Mickey said.

Clara gasped and Rose said, "What do you mean?"

"He's left you. Some boyfriend HE turned out to be," Mickey said.

Rose ran from the kitchen and Clara turned on Mickey.

"He is not her boyfriend," she said, feeling jealous at that. "You should just leave her alone. You don't know what we've been through."

"Oh, and what is that?" Jackie asked.

"Oooh, never mind!" Clara said, throwing her hands in the air, fed up.

"And you, Clara, you're supposed to be my friend. How could you just drag Rose with you? You could've left her here and gone yourself," Mickey said.

"Oh, so now you're saying that I should've been missing for a year and Rose here, safe and sound? That this is all my fault?" Clara exploded.

"Yeah, I am!" Mickey yelled back.

"That's it, I'm through. Can I borrow your mobile, Aunt Jackie, so I can find Rose?" Clara asked.

"Sure, sweetheart, just be sure to bring her back home for good," Jackie said, handing over her phone.

"No promise, but I'll see what I can do," Clara said, and she marched out of the kitchen.

She pulled a jacket off the hook by the back door and wandered off into the night. She heard a sound behind her and found Mickey following her.

"What do you want?" she asked, never breaking stride to where the TARDIS had been waiting.

"I'm coming with you. I want to find Rose," Mickey said.

They both found Rose where the TARDIS had been. Now, there was an empty spot.

"He wouldn't just go, he promised us," Rose said when they approached.

"He probably just had to do something," Clara said. "You know him."

"Oh, don't listen to her. He's dumped you, Rose. The both of you. Sailed off into space. How does it feel, huh? Now you both are left behind with the rest of us Earthlings. Get used to it," Mickey said.

"Is that why you came along? To taunt us and insult us?" Clara demanded.

"But he would have said," Rose said, off hand.

Jackie walked up to the three of them and said, "What're you three chimps going on about? What's going on? What's this Doctor done now?"

"He's vamoosed!" Mickey said.

"Shut up, Mickey!" Clara yelled at him.

"He's not! 'Cos he gave us this!" Rose said and held up the TARDIS key. Mickey gave a 'so what' shrug.

"He's not my boyfriend, Mickey, he's better than that. He's much more important than-"

She broke off as the TARDIS key started to glow in time with the TARDIS engines. Clara pulled her key out of her jeans pocket and it, too, was glowing.

"I said so," Rose said.

The engines were getting louder and Rose turned to Jackie.

"Mum! Mum, go inside. Mum, don't stand there, just go inside. Just—mum, go-" Rose tried to urge Jackie, but Jackie wasn't listening to her. She was too transfixed on the spot over Rose's shoulder where the TARDIS was materializing out of thin air.

"Uh?" Mickey said, pointing at the TARDIS.

"How'd you do that, then?" Jackie said, staring at the TARDIS in amazement. Rose and Clara both looked at each other and then at Jackie warily.

Rose and Clara entered the TARDIS to see the Doctor looking at the computer screen.

"Alright, so I lied! I went and had a look, but the whole crash landing's a fake—I thought so, it's just too perfect. I mean, 'hitting Big Ben' come on, so I thought let's go and have a look-" the Doctor said.

"My mum's here," Rose said. The door creaked open and Jackie and Mickey entered. The Doctor looked around.

"Oh, that JUST what I need. Don't you dare make this place domestic!" the Doctor said.

"You ruined my life, Doctor," Mickey said.

The Doctor spun around to face him.

"They thought they were dead. I was a murder suspect because of you," Mickey said.

"See what I mean? Domestic," the Doctor said to Rose and Clara. The Doctor spun back around to face the computer screen. Mickey took a few steps towards him.

"I bet you don't even remember my name!" Mickey said.

"Ricky," the Doctor said.

"It's Mickey," Mickey said.

"No, it's Ricky," the Doctor argued.

"I think I know my own name," Mickey said.

"You THINK you know your own name?" the Doctor said. Clara snorted. "How stupid are you?"

Jackie, who had been looking around the TARDIS in shock, turned around and ran back outside.

"Mum, don't!" Rose said. "Don't go anywhere," she told the Doctor and to Mickey, she said, "Don't start a fight!"

"Don't worry, I'll straight them out!" Clara called after her. She whirled on Mickey, who backed up upon seeing the fury on her face. "Now listen to me, Mickey Smith! If you so much as talk to Rose rudely again, I'll punch you square in the nose, you got that?" she said.

Mickey swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, I think I do," he said back.

"Good," Clara said, folding her arms over her chest and turned to the Doctor, who was staring at her.

"What?" she asked. He didn't answer. There was a look of amazement on his face.

Right then, Rose ran back into the TARDIS and went straight to the Doctor's side. He had turned his attention back to the monitor.

"That was a REAL spaceship?" Rose asked.

"Yep!" the Doctor said.

"So, it's all a pack of lies? What is it then, are they invading?" Rose asked.

Clara walked over to the other side of the Doctor and looked at the monitor. Mickey came up behind her and peered over her shoulder at the screen.

"Funny way to invade, putting the world on red alert," Mickey said.

"Good point!" the Doctor said, looking a bit impressed at what Mickey had said. "So, what're they up to?"

The Doctor wedged himself underneath the console, and Mickey peered down at him.

"So, what're you doing down there?" Mickey asked.

"Ricky," the Doctor said, slightly muffled due to the fact that he had his sonic screwdriver between his teeth.

"Mickey," Mickey said.

"Ricky," the Doctor said, taking the sonic screwdriver out from his mouth.

Mickey just rolled his eyes.

"If I was to tell you what I was doing to the controls of my frankly magnificent time ship, would you even begin to understand?" the Doctor asked.

"I suppose not..." Mickey said.

"Shut it, then," the Doctor said.

The Doctor stuck the sonic screwdriver back between his teeth. Clara smirked at Mickey as he went to where Rose was standing by the console.

Clara crouched down to the Doctor's level and asked, "Do you need any help?"

The Doctor pulled the screwdriver back out of his mouth and said, "I won't tell you to shut it, but the same thing I told Ricky. I don't thing you'd even begin to understand." Then he grinned. "At least, not yet anyways."

Clara went and sat down on the ground and leaned against the railing. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, hoping to at least doze, but it was ruined when there were sparks from underneath the console and the Doctor yelled, "Got it! Haha!"

Clara stood up and went to the other side of the console, where Rose was already standing.

"Patched in the radar, looped it back twelve hours so we can follow the flight of the spaceship, here we go...hold on..." He whacked the computer screen. "Come on!" He showed Rose and Clara the graphics on the screen. "That's the spaceship on it's way to Earth...see? Except...hold on...see, the spaceship did a sling shot round the Earth before it landed."

"What does that mean?" Rose asked.

"It means it came from Earth in the first place—it went up and came back down. Whoever those aliens are, they haven't just arrived. They've been here for a while. The question is, what have they been doing?" the Doctor said.

"So, what was the whole point of the spaceship crash?" Clara asked. "It just doesn't make sense to me."

"I don't know yet," the Doctor said, while switching the television from channel to channel.

"How many channels to do you get?" Mickey asked.

"All the basic packages," the Doctor said.

"You get sports channels?" Mickey asked.

"Boys," Clara said, rolling her eyes at Rose, who grinned.

"Yes, I get the football," the Doctor said, and looked back at the screen. "Hold on, I know that bloke."

"It is looking likely that the government is bringing an alien specialists—those people who have devoted their lives to studying outer space," the reporter said.

"UNIT!" the Doctor said. "United Nations Intelligence Task force—good people."

"How do you know them?" Rose asked.

"'Cos he's worked for them. Yeah, don't think I sat on my backside for twelve months, Doctor. I read up on you. You look deep enough on the Internet...and in the history books, and there's his name. Followed by a list of the dead," Mickey said.

"That's nice. Good boy, Ricky," the Doctor said.

Clara let out a chuckle.

"If you know them, why don't you go and help?" Rose asked.

"They wouldn't recognize me. I've changed a lot since the old days. Besides, the world's on a knife-edge. There's aliens out there and fake aliens. We want to keep this undercover...and eh, better keep the TARDIS out of site. Ricky! You've got a car—you can do some driving," the Doctor said.

The Doctor started walking to the TARDIS door.

"Where to?" Mickey said.

"The roads are clearing. Let's go and have a look at that spaceship" the Doctor said.

They all stepped out of the TARDIS to the sound of helicopters. They were immediately caught by a searchlight and a voice that yelled out, "Do not move!"

Police cars and soldiers surrounded them, pointing their guns at them that prevented them from doing anything. Mickey made a run for it and Jackie ran out of the flat and tried to get Rose and Clara out, but two soldiers restrain her.

"No!" Jackie yelled.

"Leave her alone!" Clara yelled, but was restrained by soldiers.

"Raise you hands above your head! You are under arrest!" the voice said on a loudspeaker.

The Doctor and Rose obey, but Clara can't really raise her hands, because she was being held by the soldiers with her hands secured behind her back.

"Take me to your leader!" the Doctor demanded.

Clara was forced into the back of a police car and the Doctor followed with Rose right behind him. The door was shut and the policeman driving the car took off.

"This is a bit posh," Rose said. "If I knew it was gonna be like this—being arrested—I'd have done it years ago."

Clara snorted and said, "Yeah, right, Rose."

"We're not being arrested, we're being escorted!" the Doctor said.

"Where to?" Rose asked.

"Where'd you think? Downing Street!" the Doctor said, and laughed. Rose and Clara joined in.

"You're kidding," Rose said.

"I'm not!" the Doctor said.

"10 Downing Street?" Rose asked.

"That's the one!" the Doctor said, reminding Clara of a child.

Rose laughed gleefully.

"Oh, my gosh! I'm going to 10 Downing Street?" Rose asked.

The Doctor nodded, grinning.

"Oh, my gosh, I'm going to 10 Downing Street, too!" Clara exclaimed.

"How come?" Rose asked.

"I hate to say it, but Mickey was right. Over the years I've visited this planet a lot of times, and I've been, us—noticed," the Doctor said.

"Now they need you?" Rose asked.

"Like it said on the news—they're gathering experts in alien knowledge. And who's the biggest expert on the lot?" the Doctor said, grinning at the girls.

"Patrick Moore?" Rose said.

"Apart from him!" the Doctor said.

"You!" Clara exclaimed, and the Doctor beamed at her.

"Ah, don't you just love it..." Rose said.

"I'm telling you, Lloyd George—he used to drink me under the table. Who's Prime Minister now?" the Doctor asked the girls.

"How should we know? We missed a year," Rose said.

The car pulled up outside 10 Downing Street. There were paparazzi and policemen everywhere there. Clara got out of the car first, followed by the Doctor, who was waving and grinning at everyone. Clara hid behind the Doctor as Rose got out of the car and smiled nervously.

"Oh, my gosh!" Rose said. She followed the Doctor, with Clara hiding behind his back, inside. Inside a room, there were a bunch of people gathered. A woman, named Indra entered and announced, "Ladies and Gentlemen, could we convene? Quickly as we can, please. It's this way on the right and can I remind you, ID cards are to be worn at all times."

He approached the Doctor and handed him an ID card. "Here's your ID card. I'm sorry, but your companions don't have clearance," she said.

"I don't go anywhere without them," the Doctor said, putting the ID card around his neck.

"You're the code nine, not them," Indra said.

A woman walked up to them.

"I'm sorry, Doctor...it is the Doctor, isn't it? They'll have to stay outside," Indra said.

"They're staying with me," the Doctor said.

"Look, even I don't have clearance to go in there. I can't let them in and that's a fact," Indra said.

"It's alright, you go," Rose told the Doctor.

"We'll be fine waiting outside," Clara added.

The woman, Harriet Jones, appeared behind Indra's shoulder.

"Excuse me? Are you the Doctor?" Harriet asked.

Indra looked exasperated.

"Not now, we're busy—can't you go home?" Indra asked Harriet.

"Are you sure?" the Doctor asked Rose and Clara.

"Yeah, they're the experts, you should hear what they've got to say," Rose said.

"I s'pose so. Don't get into any trouble," the Doctor said.

"We'll try not to," Clara said with a laugh as the Doctor followed the other experts into the room.

"I just need a word in private," Harriet said to Indra.

"You haven't got clearance, now leave it!" Indra grabbed Rose's and Clara's arms. "I'm going to have to leave you two with security." He started to lead the girls away.

"It's alright. I'll look after them. Let me be of some use," Harriet said. To Rose and Clara she said, "Walk with me. Just keep walking..." The three of them walked past the guard at the door.

"That's right...don't look round! Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North," Harriet said, showing Rose and Clara her ID card.

Harriet took the girls down a corridor and started talking to Rose and Clara.

"This friend of yours...he's an expert, is that right? He knows about aliens?" Harriet asked.

"Why do you wanna know?" Rose asked.

Harriet broke down into tears and Clara gave her a hug, patting her back now and then, while Rose stood there, looking awkward.

After Harriet had calmed down a bit, she took Rose and Clara to the cabinet room and showed the girls the body suit of a man named Oliver.

"They turned the body into a suit! A disguise for the thing inside!" Harriet exclaimed and burst into tears again. Clara put her arms around the woman again, trying to comfort her.

"It's alright! We believe you. It's...it's alien. They must have some SERIOUS technology behind this...if we could find it...we could use it," Rose said, rummaging around the room. She opened a cupboard and the Prime Minister's body fell out of it. Rose, Harriet, and Clara hurried to examine it.

"Oh, my gosh! Is that-?" Rose said.

Indra entered the room then.

"Harriet! This has gone beyond a joke—you cannot just wander-" The man broke off as he spotted the body of the Prime Minister. "Oh, my gosh. That's the Prime Minster!"

"Ohhh!" a voice sounded behind them. Indra, Rose, Harriet, and Clara all turned around to see a large woman named Margaret enter the room.

"Has someone been naughty?" Margaret asked.

All the women, and Indra, looked at each other and Margaret shut the door behind her.

"That's impossible. He left this afternoon. The Prime Minister left Downing Street, he was driven away!" Indra said, indicating to the body.

"And who told you that? Hmm? Me?" Margaret said, walking up to poor Indra. She stroked the hair back from her forehead. It was like she unzipped her forehead, revealing a bright blue light. She pulled off the body skin suit, to reveal a very ugly, large, green alien, that looked very fat. Rose, Clara, Indra, and Harriet were all in shock.

The skin suit fell to the floor and Margaret stood before the women and Indra, who where stunned. Margaret roared in delight and grabbed Indra with her claws and pinned him against the wall. He started shouting as she was strangling him. Harriet, Rose, and Clara winced as Margaret strangled the man. They all looked on in fear as Margaret was advancing on them...

TO BE CONTINUED...


	5. World War Three

Harriet Jones, Clara Tyler, and Rose Tyler all cowered in fear as Margaret the Slitheen was holding a now dead Indra against the wall after strangling him. Suddenly, Margaret is covered in electricity and dropped Indra's body from the wall.

Rose and Clara each grabbed one of Harriet's hands and they all ran from the room. Harriet was whimpering slightly and Rose and Clara looked terrified. Rose, Clara, and Harriet ran down a corridor.

"No, wait!" Harriet said, and they stopped in the middle of the corridor. "They're still in there! The emergency protocols! We need them!" Harriet ran back in the direction of the cabinet room and Rose and Clara followed her, but they all turn around frantically as Margaret the Slitheen is heading in their direction.

They ran across the hallway and Rose shuts the door behind them, but Margaret burst straight through it, as if it wasn't even there. Rose, Harriet, and Clara kept going through to another room; this time, Clara shut the door, to try and at least slow down Margaret.

The women keep going through room after room, until they reach a locked door that Rose knees it. The lift pinged open, revealing the Doctor. Margaret roared at him, but he just smiled and nodded at all of them.

"Hello," the Doctor said pleasantly.

The lift doors shut again, distracting Margaret long enough for Rose, Clara, and Harriet to escape unnoticed. The women found themselves in a room where all the doors were locked and there wasn't an escape route.

"Hide!" Rose said. The three of them hide poorly, to where they were still seen.

Margaret the Slitheen entered the room.

"Oh, such fun! Little human children...where are you? Sweet little humeykins...come to me...let me kiss you better..." Margaret said. Clara gasped as Rose bolted from her hiding place behind a cabinet to behind the curtains where Clara was already hiding.

"...kiss you with my big, green lips," Margaret said, hissing.

Clara felt herself start to shake as she heard two other voices with Margaret.

"My brothers," Margaret said.

"Happy hunting?" One Slitheen whose human name was Joseph asked.

"It's wonderful. The more you prolong it, the more they stink," Margaret said.

"Sweat...and fear," the other Slitheen named Asquith said.

"I can smell an old girl...stale bird...brittle bones," Joseph the Slitheen said

"And two ripe youngsters. All hormones and adrenaline. Fresh enough to bend before they snap," Margaret said. She pulled aside the curtain, revealing Rose and Clara, who both screamed. Harriet jumped out of her hiding place and yelled, "No! Take me first! Take me!"

The Doctor burst into the room and blasted a fire extinguisher in the Slitheen's faces.

"Out! With me!" the Doctor yelled.

Clara helped Rose pull the curtains down over Margaret's head and then they went with Harriet and hid behind the Doctor. The Doctor looked at Harriet and asked, "Who the hell are you?"

"Harriet Jones—MP for Flydale North," Harriet said.

"Nice to meet you," the Doctor said.

"Likewise," Harriet said.

"Can we do this later?" Clara shrieked.

In answer, the Doctor blasted the fire extinguisher again and they all ran out of the room. They ran out into the corridor and the Doctor said, "We need to get to the cabinet rooms!"

"The Emergency Protocols are in there! They give instructions on aliens!" Harriet said.

"Harriet Jones—I like you," the Doctor said.

"And I like you too," Harriet said.

They kept running and the Doctor quickly unlocked a door with his sonic screwdriver, with the Slitheen pursuing them all the way back to the cabinet room. They didn't have time to close the door, so the Doctor picked up a bottle of brandy and held his sonic screwdriver up to it.

"One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol. Whoof! We all go up. So back off," the Doctor said.

The Slitheen hesitated.

"Right then. Question time. Who exactly are the Slitheen?" the Doctor asked.

"They're aliens," Harriet said.

"Yes. I got that, thanks," the Doctor said.

"Who are you, if not human?" Joseph the Slitheen asked.

"Who's not human?" Harriet asked.

"He's not human," Rose said.

"He's not human?" Harriet asked to clarify.

"Nope," Clara said.

"Can I have a bit of hush?" the Doctor asked.

"Sorry," Harriet and Clara said.

"So—what's the plan?" the Doctor asked the Slitheen.

"But he's got a Northern accent," Harriet observed.

"Lots of planets have a North," Rose said.

"I said hush. Come on!" the Doctor said. He held the brand out threateningly in front of him to the Slitheen.

"You've got a spaceship hidden in the North Sea. It's transmitting a signal. You've murdered your way to the top of government—what for? Invasion?" the Doctor asked.

"Why would we invade this forsaken rock?" Asquith the Slitheen asked.

"Then something's brought the Slitheen race here—what is it?" the Doctor asked.

"'The Slitheen race'?" Asquith asked.

"Slitheen is not our species. Slitheen is our surname. Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer Day Slitheen at your service," Joseph the Slitheen said.

"Nice to meet you," Clara said politely.

"So, you're family," the Doctor said.

"It's a family business," Joseph the Slitheen said.

"Then you're out to make a profit. How can you do that on a 'forsaken rock'?" the Doctor asked.

"Ahhh...excuse me? Your device will do what? Triplicate the flammability...?" Asquith the Slitheen said.

"Is that what I said?" the Doctor asked.

"Yup, you did," Clara supplied.

"You're making it up!" Asquith the Slitheen said.

"Ah, well! Nice try. Harriet, have a drink. I think you're gonna need it," the Doctor said, offering Harriet the brandy.

"Pass it to the left first," Harriet said.

"Sorry," the Doctor said, and he handed it to Clara, who was standing on the Doctor's left.

"Thank you, Doctor, but I'm a bit too young," Clara said and passed it to Rose, who was the same age as her.

"Thanks," Rose said.

"Now we can end this hunt...with a slaughter," Asquith the Slitheen said.

He flexed his claws menacing-like but the Doctor just folded his arms.

"Don't you think we should run?" Rose asked. Clara took a couple of small steps backwards as the Slitheen shuffled forwards.

"Fascinating history, Downing Street. Two thousand years ago, this was marsh land. 1730, it was occupied by a Mr. Chicken. He was a nice man. 1796, this was the cabinet room—if the cabinet's in session and in danger, these are about the four most safest walls in the whole of Great Britain. End of lesson," the Doctor said. He pressed a button on the wall, which made every entrance to the room blocked by very large, thick metal shutters. It safely trapped the Slitheen on the other side, but now they didn't have a way out.

The Doctor turned to Harriet, Rose, and Clara and said, "Installed in 1991. Three inches of steel lining every single wall. They'll never get in."

"And how do we get out?" Rose asked what Clara had been thinking.

There was a pause, then the Doctor said, "Ah."

With nothing to do, Clara sat in on the floor against the wall. The Doctor was pulling Indra's body into a cupboard.

"What was his name?" the Doctor asked.

"Which one?" Harriet asked.

"This one—the secretary or whatever he was called," the Doctor said.

Harriet walked over to look.

"I don't know. I talked to him. I brought him a cup of coffee. I never asked his name," Harriet said.

"Sorry," the Doctor said to the body. He strode into the room. "Right, what have we got? Any terminals? Anything?"

"No," Rose said. "This place is antique. What I don't get, is when they killed the Prime Minister, why didn't they use him as a disguise?"

"He's too slim—they're big old beasts, they need to fit inside big humans," the Doctor said.

"But the Slitheen are about 8 feet, how do they squeeze inside?" Rose asked.

"That's the device around their necks—compression field—literally shrinks them down a bit. That's why there's all that gas, it's a big exchange," the Doctor explained.

"Wish I had a compression field, I could fit a size smaller," Rose said. Clara snickered at Rose's joke from her spot on the floor.

"Excuse me, people are dead, this is not the time for making jokes," Harriet scolded.

"Sorry...you get used to this stuff when you're friends with him," Rose said, indicating to the Doctor, who was scanning the walls with his sonic screwdriver.

"Well, that's a strange friendship," Harriet said.

"Harriet Jones—I've heard that name before—Harriet Jones. You're not famous for anything, are you?" the Doctor asked.

"Huh! Hardly," Harriet said.

"Rings a bell, Harriet Jones," the Doctor said, looking like he was struggling to remember.

"Lifelong back bencher I'm afraid, and a fat lot of use I'm being now—the protocols are redundant, they list the people who can help and they're all dead downstairs," Harriet said.

"Hasn't it got like, defense codes and things? Can we just launch a nuclear bomb at 'em?" Rose asked.

Harriet stared at her and said, "You're a very violent young woman..."

"I'm serious! We could!" Rose said.

"Well, there's nothing like that in here. Nuclear strikes do need a release code, yes, but it's kept secret by the United Nations," Harriet said.

The Doctor was standing right by Clara. He paused with his scanning to listen in.

"Say that again," he said.

"What, about the codes?" Harriet asked.

"Anything. All of it," the Doctor said.

"Uh, well...the British Isles can't gain access to atomic weapons without a special resolution from the UN," Harriet said.

"Like that's every stopped them," Rose said.

"Exactly, given our past record—and I voted against that, thank you very much. The codes have been taken out of the governments hands and given to the UN," Harriet said.

The Doctor looked like he was deep in thought.

"Is it important?" Harriet asked.

"Everything's important," the Doctor said.

"Except me," Clara muttered to herself, feeling like she'd done nothing but get in the way.

The Doctor looked down at her, having heard what she said.

"If we only knew what the Slitheen wanted. Listen to me, I'm saying 'Slitheen' as if it's normal," Harriet said.

"What do they want, though?" Rose asked.

"Well, it's just one family so it's not an invasion. They don't want Slitheen world...they're out to make money, which means they want to use something, something here on Earth...some kind of asset," the Doctor said.

"Like what? Gold? Oil? Water?" Harriet asked.

"You're very good at this," the Doctor said.

"Thank you," Harriet said, looking pleased.

"Maybe they want to make us slaves," Clara said from her spot.

"Unlikely," the Doctor said. "Harriet Jones—why do I know that name?"

Suddenly, Rose's mobile went off.

"Oh! That's me," Rose said, pulling her phone out of her pocket.

"But we're sealed off—how did you get a signal?" Harriet asked.

"He zapped it! Super-phone," Rose said.

"Then we can phone for help! You must have contacts," Harriet said.

"Dead downstairs, yeah," the Doctor said.

"It's Mickey," Rose said.

"Oh, tell your stupid boyfriend we're busy," the Doctor said.

"Yeah, he's not so stupid after all," Rose said, handing the Doctor her phone. Mickey sent her a photo of the Slitheen in Jackie's kitchen.

Rose's phone went off again. This time, it was Mickey calling.

"Doctor," Clara said, "can you do the same to my phone, I mean, Jackie's phone?"

"Sure, bring it here," the Doctor said.

Clara got up and brought the phone that she had borrowed off of Jackie over to the Doctor. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and scanned it over the phone.

"There you go, unlimited service," the Doctor said with a grin, handing the phone back to Clara.

"Thank you, Doctor," Clara said, with a small blush.

"Is she alright, though? Don't put her on, just tell me," Rose was saying to Mickey.

The Doctor snatched the phone away from Rose.

"Is that Ricky? Don't talk, just shut up and go to your computer," the Doctor said.

"It's Mickey. And why should I?" Mickey said from the other end of the line.

"Mickey the Idiot—I might just choke before I finish this sentence, but eh—I need you," the Doctor said. Clara sniggered and Rose smiled.

The Doctor put the phone on speaker phone.

"Say again," he said.

"It's asking for the password," Mickey said.

"Buffalo—two F's, one L," the Doctor said.

"So, what's that website?" Clara heard Jackie asking.

"All the secret information known to mankind," Mickey replied. "See, they've known about aliens for years, they just kept us in the dark."

"Mickey, you were born in the dark," the Doctor said.

"Oh, leave him alone," Rose said.

"Thank you. Password again," Mickey said.

"Just repeat it, every time," the Doctor said.

"Big Ben—why did the Slitheen hit Big Ben?" the Doctor wondered aloud.

"You said to gather the experts—to kill them," Harriet said.

"That lot would've gathered for a weather balloon, you don't need to crash land in the middle of London," the Doctor said.

"The Slitheen were hiding—and then they put the entire planet on red alert, what would they do that for?" Rose asked.

"Oh, listen to her," Jackie said.

"At least I'm trying!" Rose said.

"Maybe it provided the Slitheen with an opportunity to come out of hiding," Clara suggested.

"Well, I've got a question if you don't mind. Because since that man walked into our lives, I have been attacked in the streets. I have had creatures form the pits of hell in my own living room, and my daughter and niece have disappeared off face of the Earth," Jackie said.

"I told you what happened," Rose said.

"I'm talking to him. 'Cause I've seen this life of yours, Doctor. And maybe you get off on it. And maybe you think it's all clever and smart, but you tell me. Just answer me this—are my daughter and niece safe?" Jackie asked.

The Doctor just stared at the phone.

"I'm fine," Rose said.

"We'll be fine," Clara said.

"Are they safe? Will they always be safe? Can you promise me that?" Jackie asked.

The Doctor looked up and looked back and forth at Rose and Clara, who stared back at him.

"Well, what's the answer?" Jackie asked.

"We're in," Mickey said.

The Doctor then started rushing around the table.

"Right then," he said, on the left, there's tab—an icon—little concentric circles—click on that," the Doctor said.

"What is it?" Mickey asked.

"The Slitheen have got a spaceship in the North Sea and it's transmitting that signal, now hush, let me work out what it's saying," the Doctor said.

"He'll have to answer me one day," Jackie said.

"Hush!" Clara heard Mickey say and giggled.

"It's the same sort of message," the Doctor said.

"What's it say?" Rose asked.

"Don't know—it's on a loop, keeps repeating," the Doctor said. The doorbell rang in the background on the phone.

"Hush!" the Doctor said.

"That's not me. Go and see who that is," Mickey said.

"It's three o'clock in the morning," Jackie grumbled.

"Well go and tell them that," Mickey said.

"It's beaming out into space, who's it for?" the Doctor said.

The doorbell kept ringing in the background.

"Alright!" Jackie yelled out.

"It's him! It's that thing, it's the Slickeen!" Jackie yelled.

"They've found us," Mickey said.

"Mum!" Clara yelled out. "Get out of there!"

"Mickey, I need that signal," the Doctor said.

"Never mind the signal, mum just get out! Get out! Get out!" Rose yelled.

"We can't, it's by the front door," Mickey said. "Oh, my gosh. It's unmasking. It's gonna kill us."

"There's got to be some way of stopping them!" Harriet said. To the Doctor, she said, "You're supposed to be the expert, think of something!"

"I'm trying!" the Doctor said.

"I'll take it on, Jackie. You just run. Don't look back. Just run," Mickey said. On the phone, Rose and Clara both heard the sound of the Slitheen smashing down the door.

"Mum!" Clara called, tears going down her cheeks.

"That's my mother," Rose said.

"Right! If we're going to find their weakness, we need to find out where they're from—which planet. So, judging by their face and shape, that narrows it down to five thousand planets within traveling distance. What else do we know about them? Information!" the Doctor said.

"They're green," Rose said.

"Yep, narrows it down," the Doctor said.

"Uh, good sense of smell," Rose said.

"Narrows it down," the Doctor said.

"They can smell adrenaline," Rose said.

"Narrows it down," the Doctor said.

"The compression technology," Harriet said.

"Narrows it down," Clara butt in for the Doctor.

"The spaceship in the Thames—you said slipstream engine?" Rose said.

"Narrows it down," the Doctor said.

"It's getting in!" Mickey yelled.

"Oh! They hunt like it's a ritual," Rose said.

"Narrows it down," the Doctor said.

"Wait a minute!" Harriet said. "Did you notice, when they fart—if you'll pardon the word—it downs't just smell like a fart—if you'll pardon the word—it's something else, what is it, it's more like uh...um.."

"Bad breath!" Rose said.

"That's it!" Harriet said.

"Calcium decay! Now that narrows it down!" the Doctor said.

"We're getting there, mum!" Rose shouted.

"Just hang on a little bit longer!" Clara added in.

"Too late!" Mickey yelled back.

"Calcium phosphate, organic calcium, living calcium, creatures made out of living calcium, what else, what else—hyphenated sodium—yes! That narrows it down to one planet! Raxacoricofallapatorius!" the Doctor said, excited.

"Oh, yeah, great. We could write 'em a letter," Mickey said.

"Get into the kitchen!" the Doctor yelled.

"Oooh, it's going to rip us apart!" Jackie yelled.

"Calcium, recombined with compression field—ascetic acid. Vinegar!" the Doctor said.

"Just like Hannibal!" Harriet said.

"Just like Hannibal. Mickey, have you got any vinegar?" the Doctor said.

"How should I know?" Mickey said.

"It's your kitchen," the Doctor said.

"Cupboard by the sink, middle shelf," Rose supplied.

"Give it here, what do you need?" Jackie said.

"Anything with vinegar!" the Doctor said.

"Gherkins!" Jackie said. "Yeah! Pickled onions! Pickled eggs!"

"You kiss this man?" the Doctor asked Rose.

A few seconds later, there was a bang, and the Doctor, Rose, Clara, and Harriet all sighed in relief.

"Hannibal?" Rose asked. Clara nodded, confused.

"Hannibal crossed the Alps by dissolving boulders with vinegar," the Doctor said.

"Oh. Well, there you go then," Rose said.

They all raised glasses of the brandy in a toast and drank. Clara coughed a bit, never having had alcohol before.

"Phew!" Rose said.

"Listen to this," Mickey said a minute later.

"Our inspectors have searched the sky above our heads and they have found massive weapons of destruction, capable of being deployed within 45 seconds," Joseph the Slitheen was saying on TV.

"What?" the Doctor said.

"Out technicians can—baffle—the alien probes. But not for long. We are facing extinction. Unless we strike first. The United Kingdom stands directly beneath the belly of the mother ship. I beg the United Nations—pass an emergency resolution. Give us the access codes! A nuclear strike at the heart of the ship is our only chance of survival. Because...from this moment on...it is my solemn duty to inform you...planet Earth is at war," Joseph the Slitheen said.

"He's making it up," the Doctor said. "There's no weapons up there, there's no threat. He just invented it."

"Do you think they'll believe him?" Harriet asked.

"They did last time," Rose reminded her.

"That's why the Slitheen went for spectacle. They want the whole world panicking, because you lot—you get scared, you lash out," the Doctor said.

"They release the defense codes..." Rose said.

"And the Slitheen go nuclear," the Doctor said.

"But why?" Harriet asked.

The Doctor went over and opened the metal shutters. The Slitheen were still standing outside the door.

"You get the codes, release the missiles. But not into space because there's nothing there. You attack every other country on Earth, they retaliate, fight back. World War Three—whole planet gets nuked," the Doctor said.

Margaret was still in her skin suit standing before the Doctor.

"And we can sit through it in our spaceship waiting in the Thames. Not crashed. Just parked. They'll be two minutes away," Margaret said.

"But you'll destroy the planet, this beautiful place. What for?" Harriet asked.

"Profit. That's what the signal is beaming into space—an advert," the Doctor said.

"Sale of the century. We reduce the Earth to molten slag, then sell it. Piece by piece. Radioactive chunks capable of powering every cut-price star liner and budget cargo ship. There's a recession out there, Doctor. People are buying cheap. This rock becomes raw fuel," Margaret said.

"At the cost of 5 billion lives," the Doctor said.

"Bargain," Margaret said.

"That's cruel," Clara said forcefully.

"Then I give you a choice—leave this planet or I'll stop you," the Doctor said.

All the Slitheen burst out laughing.

"What? You? Trapped in you box?" Margaret said.

That didn't bother the Doctor. He just stared at her and said, "Yes. Me."

Margaret laughed again, but this time, it was nervously. The Doctor started at her and then closed the shutters.

Jackie got back on the phone.

"Alright, Doctor. I'm not saying I trust you, but there must be something you can do," she said.

"If we ferment the porch, we could make a ascetic acid," Harriet said.

"Mickey, any luck?" Rose asked.

"There's loads of emergency numbers—they're all on voicemail," Mickey said.

The Doctor was standing against the wall with his arms folded. He was standing away from Harriet, Rose and Clara, looking deep in thought.

"Voicemail dooms us all," Harriet said.

"If we could just get out of here..." Rose said.

"There's a way out," the Doctor said.

"What?" Rose and Clara asked at the same time.

"There's always been a way out," the Doctor said.

"Then why don't we use it?" Rose asked.

The Doctor didn't answer, but instead he went over to the table and spoke into the phone.

"Because I can't guarantee that your daughter and niece will be safe," the Doctor said.

"Don't you dare. Whatever it is, don't you dare," Jackie said.

"That's the thing, if I don't dare, everyone dies," the Doctor said.

"Do it," Rose and Clara said together.

The Doctor looked at both of them.

"You two don't even know what it is, and you'd just let me?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah," Rose said.

The Doctor looked at Clara.

"Of course, Doctor," she said.

The Doctor stared at them.

"Please, Doctor. Please! They're my daughter and niece, they're just kids!" Jackie begged.

"Do you think I don't know that? Because this is my life, Jackie, it's not fun, it's not smart, it's just standing up and making a decision because nobody else will," the Doctor said.

"Then what're you waiting for?" Rose asked softly.

"I could save the world but lose you two," the Doctor said.

The three of them stared at each other for a long time until Rose looked away with a shy smile. Clara kept the Doctor's gaze, blushing slightly, before finally looking away.

"Except it's not your decision, Doctor. It's mine," Harriet said.

"And who the hell are you?" Jackie asked angrily.

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. The only elected representative in this room, chosen by the people, for the people, and on behalf of the people I command you. Do it," Harriet said.

The Doctor looked at Rose and Clara and grinned. Rose jumped onto the table, with Clara right behind her.

"How do we get out?" Rose asked.

The Doctor opened the briefcase containing the emergency protocols.

"We don't. We stay here," the Doctor said, opening the emergency protocols.

He shuffled through the papers and then addressed Mickey.

"Use the buffalo password, it overrides everything," he said.

"What're you doing?" Jackie asked.

"Hacking into the Royal Navy," Mickey said. "We're in. Here it is, us...H.M.S. Taurean, Trafalgar Class Submarine, 10 miles off the coast of Plymouth."

"Right, we need to select a missile," the Doctor said.

"We can't go nuclear, we don't have the defense codes," Mickey said.

"We don't need it, all we need it an ordinary missile. What's the first category?" the Doctor asked.

"Sub Haffoon, UGMA4A," Mickey said.

"That's the one. Select," the Doctor said.

"Do it, then," Mickey said.

"Ready for this?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah," Mickey said.

"Mickey the Idiot. The world is in your hands. Fire," the Doctor said.

Harriet tapped the steel shutters.

"How solid are these?" Harriet asked.

"Not solid enough, built for short range attack, nothing this big," the Doctor said.

"Alright. Now I'm making the decision. I'm not gonna die, we're gonna ride this one out," Rose said, determined. "It's like what they say about earthquakes, you can survive 'em by standing under a doorframe. Now this cupboard's small so it's strong. Come and help me! Come on!"

Harriet and Rose hurried to help her clear out the cupboard.

"It's on radar. Counter defense 556," Mickey said.

"Stop them intercepting it," the Doctor said.

"I'm doing it now," Mickey said.

"Good boy," the Doctor said.

"556 neutralized," Mickey said. The Doctor pulled the mobile of speaker phone, so they heard no more from Mickey or Jackie.

Rose, the Doctor, Clara, and Harriet were huddled together in the cupboard. They all crouched in a corner, on all sides of the Doctor.

"Nice knowing you all," Harriet said.

They all took hold of each others hands.

"Hannibal!" Harriet said. They all braced themselves. All four of them were severely shaken as the missile hit. Them, as soon as it started, it stopped. When they emerged from the wreckage, the whole place is in ruins and smoking. Harriet looked around and said, "Made in Britain."

"Are you alright?" a Sergeant asked.

Harriet pulled out her ID card and said, "Harriet Jones. MP, Flydale North. I want you to contact UN immediately, tell the ambassadors the crisis is over and they can step down. Go on, tell the news!"

"Yes, ma'am," the Sergeant said, and hurried away.

"Someone's got a hell of a job sorting this lot out. We haven't got a Prime Minister!" Harriet said.

"Well, maybe you should have a go," the Doctor said.

"Me?" Harriet asked, laughing. "I'm only a back-bencher."

"I'd vote for ya!" Rose said.

"Now, don't be silly," Harriet said.

"I'd also vote for you," Clara said, grinning at Harriet.

"Look, I'd better go and see if I can help," Harriet said.

She climbed over the rubble towards the growing crowd of people. The Doctor beamed at Rose and Clara.

"Hang on!" Harriet yelled. To the crowd, she yelled, "The Earth is safe! Sergeant!"

The Doctor, Rose, and Clara started walking together.

"I thought I knew that name," the Doctor said. They watched Harriet hurry over to the cameras and ambulances.

"Harriet Jones—future Prime Minister. Elected for three successive terms—the architect of Britain's Golden Age," the Doctor said.

"The crisis has passed! Ladies and Gentlemen—I have something to say to you all!" Harriet said.

The Doctor, Rose, and Clara all looked at Harriet fondly, and they turned and walked away. When Rose and Clara entered the flat, they were greeted with huge hugs from Jackie. A few minutes later, both Rose and Clara were sitting in front of the TV watching a repeat of Harriet's speech.

"Mankind stands tall—proud-" Harriet said.

Jackie came into the room.

"Harriet Jones. Who does she think she is? Look at her! Taking all the credit. Should be you two on there," Jackie said. She addressed the TV. "My daughters saved the world!"

"I think the Doctor helped a bit.." Rose said.

"Definitely," Clara said.

"Oh, alright then. Him too. You both should be given knighthoods," Jackie said.

"That's not the way he does things. No fuss, he just...moves on. He's not that bad if you gave him a chance," Rose said.

"He's good in a crisis, I'll give him that," Jackie said.

"Oh! Now the world has changed, you're saying nice things about him," Rose said.

"I think she's coming down with something," Clara said.

"Well, I reckon I've got no choice! There's no getting rid on him since you're infatuated," Jackie said.

"I'm not infatuated...Clara is," Rose said, wiggling her eyebrows at her cousin.

"I am not," Clara said unconvincingly.

"What does he eat?" Jackie asked.

"How do you mean?" Rose asked.

"I was gonna do shepherds pie," Jackie said.

Both Rose and Clara sniggered.

"All of us. A proper sit down. 'Cause...I'm ready to listen. I wanna learn about you and him and that life you lead. Only, I dunno, he's an alien. For all I know, he eats grass and safety pins and things," Jackie said.

"He'll have shepherds pie. You're gonna cook for him?" Rose asked.

"What's wrong with that?" Jackie asked.

"He's finally met his match," Rose said.

"You're not too old for a slap, you know," Jackie said. Both Rose and Clara giggled. Jackie got up and went into the kitchen.

"You two can go and visit your gran tomorrow," Jackie said.

Rose's phone rang, at the same time Clara's did.

"You two'd better learn some French. I told her you both were in France. I said you were au-pairing," Jackie said.

The caller ID on both of the girls' mobiles read 'TARDIS calling' with a little TARDIS icon. Rose and Clara answered.

"Hello?" both girls say.

"Right, I'll be a couple of hours, then we can go," the Doctor said in both of their phones.

"You've got a phone?" Rose said into her moblie.

"And you called both of us?" Clara said into hers.

"You think I can travel through space and time and I haven't got a phone?" the Doctor said. "And the TARDIS called your phone, Clara. I just dialed Rose's. And like I said, couple of hours...I've just got to send out this dispersal...There you go. That's cancelling out the Slitheen's advert in case any bargain hunters turn up."

"My mother's cooking," Rose said.

"Good! Put her on a slow heat and let her simmer," the Doctor said.

"She's cooking tea. For us," Rose us.

"_All_ of us," Clara specified.

"I don't do that," the Doctor said.

"She wants to get to know you," Rose said.

"Tough! I've got better things to do!" the Doctor said.

"It's just tea," Rose said. "And Clara _really_ wants you to come!"

"Rose!" Clara hissed.

"Not to me it isn't," the Doctor said, ignoring the second remark.

"She's our mother," Rose said.

"Well, she's not mine!" the Doctor said.

"That's not fair!" Rose said.

"Well, you can stay there if you want!" the Doctor said. There was a pause. "But right now there's this plasma storm brewing in the horse head nebula."

Both Rose and Clara were listening to the Doctor intently.

"Fires are burning 10 million miles wide. I could fly the TARDIS right into the heart of it then ride the shock wave all the way out—hurtle right across the sky and end up anywhere," the Doctor said.

"Your choice. Both of you," the Doctor said and hung up. Clara hung up her phone and so did Rose, but more slowly.

"So...?" Clara said.

"Let's do it," Rose said and they both ran to their bedroom to pack. Clara threw Rose's bag to her and she pulled out her own and started putting in clothes from the closet and dresser.

"I was wondering whether he drinks or not," Jackie said from the doorway.

"Yeah, he does," Rose said.

"Don't go, sweethearts," Jackie said quietly.

Rose stopped her packing and looked at Jackie, but Clara kept on going. She knew if she stopped and looked at her mum, she would cry.

"Please don't go," Jackie said. Rose continued in her packing.

Jackie followed Rose and Clara all the way to the TARDIS, pleading with them.

"I'll get a proper job. I'll work weekends, I'll pass my test and if Jim comes round again, I'll say no. I really will," Jackie said.

"We're not leaving 'cos of you. We're travelling, that's all. And then, we'll come back," Rose said.

"But it's not safe," Jackie said.

"Mum...if you saw it out there...you'd never stay home," Rose said.

"Got enough stuff?" the Doctor asked the girls sarcastically.

"Last time I stepped in there, it was spur of the moment," Rose said.

"We wanted to be prepared," Clara said as Rose tossed an enormous bag into the Doctor's arms.

"Now we're signing up. You're stuck with us. Haha," Rose said.

Clara stayed by the Doctor's side as Rose went to talk to Mickey.

"Come with us. There's plenty of room," Rose said to him.

Mickey gestured to the Doctor, who said, "No chance, he's ah, a liability, I'm not having him on board," the Doctor said.

"That's not fair," Clara scolded him.

"We'd be dead without him," Rose said.

"My decision is final," the Doctor said.

"Sorry," Rose said to Mickey. After they kissed, Mickey gave Clara a small wave, which she returned.

"Good luck, then," Mickey said.

"You still can't promise me. What if they get lost? What if something happens to you, Doctor, and they're left all alone standing on some moon a million light years away—how long do I wait then?" Jackie asked.

The Doctor just stood there, hugging Rose's bag.

"Mum..." Rose said. Jackie spun around to face the girls.

"You're forgetting—it's a time machine," Rose said. "We could go traveling around suns and planets and all the way out to the edge of the universe and by the time we get back, yeah—ten seconds would have passed. Just ten seconds. So stop worrying. See you in ten seconds time. Hmm?"

Rose hugged her and then followed the Doctor into the TARDIS. Clara gave Jackie a big hug and gave Mickey a kiss on the cheek. She gave them a wave before following Rose and the Doctor onto the TARDIS. A minute later, it dematerialized, leaving Jackie and Mickey standing alone.


	6. Dalek

Willow Tyler fell to the floor, reddening the palms of her hands, as the Tardis flew through the Time Vortex before the old girl materialized. Willow picked herself up as did the Doctor, and her cousin (but more like sister), Rose Tyler. The three of them stepped out of the Tardis door (Willow first, because Rose owed her one), looking around where they had landed in wonder.

"So, what is it? What's wrong?" Rose asked, peering around the large, dark room.

"Don't know, some kind of signal drawing the Tardis off course..." the Doctor said, trailing off, looking for trouble.

Willow looked around the room, but didn't recognize anything in it, wondering where they were (or when).

"Where are we?" Rose asked, voicing Willow's silent question.

"Earth, Utah, North America. About half a mile underground," the Doctor answered and Willow shuddered at the word 'underground.' She wasn't claustrophobic, but she still disliked the idea of being far underground with no way out if something went wrong.

"And...when are we?" Rose asked, trying to get the wording right.

"2012," the Doctor said.

"So less than ten years in our future," Willow said, sounding interested.

"That's so close, the both of us should be...26," Rose said, looking at Willow with a grin and her red-headed cousin smiled slightly back.

"Ah, that's old!" Willow said softly, touching her face, checking for wrinkles in a mocking way.

Willow jumped in surprise as the Doctor suddenly flicked a switch, flooding the room with bright light, causing the trio to cover their eyes at first. Well, it didn't appear to be just any room, but a museum.

"Blimey! It's a great big museum!" Rose exclaimed, looking around at all the trinkets that were on display.

"An alien museum. Someone's got a hobby. They must've spent a fortune on this. Chunks of meteorite, moon dust...that's the milometer from the Roswell Spaceship," the Doctor said in surprise, passing by each exhibit, naming them.

"That's a bit of Slitheen!" Rose said in horror, examining a Slitheen arm in one case. "That's a Slitheen's arm, it's been stuffed."

The Doctor noticed something out of the corner of his eyes and ran over to a case, his face nearly pressed up against it (but not touching it) in surprise and excitement.

"Ah! Look at you!" he exclaimed. Inside the case, was a head; the head of a robot. The Doctor stared at it with a mixture of emotions on his face, with Rose and Willow standing right behind him, confused.

"What is it?" Rose asked, eyeing the head.

"An old friend of mine...well, enemy. The stuff of nightmares reduced to an exhibit. I'm getting old," the Doctor said, remembering each run-in with this enemy.

"Is that where the signal's coming from?" Rose asked, the thought suddenly entering her head.

"Nah, it's stone dead. The signal's alive. Something's reaching out. Calling for help," the Doctor said, staring at the head through the glass. Then, he reached out and placed a single finger tip on the glass. An alarm immediately sounded through the museum (red lights and the whole blaring sound that made Willow cover her ears) and soldiers suddenly appeared, pointing very large guns at the trio.

"If someone's collecting aliens, that makes you Exhibit A," Rose said warily to the Doctor.

The Doctor didn't answer her, but instead, he flashed the soldiers a huge grin. A woman in a very expensive-looking business suit pushed through the soldiers.

"Come with me," she stated in a flat tone, no emotion on her face.

"Taking us to your leader?" Willow asked sarcastically, but quietly. The Doctor and Rose hissed out a laugh, glad that Willow was breaking out of her shy shell she had been in most of her life.

"Follow me," the power woman said. She led them to a very large office that held an ornate desk, as well as more trinkets strewn about the area. Behind the desk was an older man (with a well manicured moustache) talking with a younger man that was holding out an object that appeared to be alien.

"What does it do?" the boss behind the desk asked. He took the artifact from the young man, twisting it around in his hands, examining it closely.

"Well you see, the tubes on the side must be to channel something, I think maybe fuel..." the young man said.

"I really wouldn't hold it like that," the Doctor said, an amused look on his face.

"Shut it," the woman in the power suit snarled at him.

"Really, though, that's wrong," the Doctor insisted to the boss-man.

"Is it dangerous?" the young man asked with a tinge of fear in his voice.

"No. Just looks silly," the Doctor said and Willow snorted quietly in amusement. The Doctor held out his hand for the alien artifact to show them how it worked. The soldiers all raised their weapons (Willow put her hands up in the air again) but the boss-man held up his hand with authority to stop them. The thugs lowered their guns, stepping back into the shadows of the room again and the boss-man handed the alien object over to the Doctor.

"You just need to be...delicate," the Doctor said, running a finger over the artifact gently, and the artifact played a note, sounding like a harmonica.

Willow stared at the object in his hands in awe and wonder; it was beautiful and played very beautiful music. The Doctor beamed at her (though he tried to hide it from the power-hungry people in the room) and everyone else in the room, while playing the artifact-turned-instrument.

"It's amazing," Willow breathed, her eyes wide and gleaming.

"It's a musical instrument," the boss said in surprise.

The Doctor nodded and said, "And it's a long way from home."

"Here, let me," the boss-man said, standing, holding out his hand, eager to try the new-found instrument. He snatched it from the Doctor's hands, and he raised his eyebrows, saying, "I did say 'delicate.' Reacts to the smallest fingerprint."

The boss tried to play it, but couldn't at first. Then, it started to make a series of bleeping noises that grated on Willow's ears. She grit her teeth and refrained from covering her ears; that would most likely get them shot or something, considering these were Americans.

"It needs precision," the Doctor said, shrugging his shoulders.

The boss-man played it again, this time more gently and this time, he actually succeeded in playing a few notes. The Doctor smiled at him in the way a teacher would to a student. Willow smiled to herself as she thought of the analogy.

"Very good," the Doctor said in approval. "Quite the expert."

"As are you," the boss said, tossing the instrument aside, where it landed on the floor. Willow gasped and winced at the mistreatment of the beautiful instrument and the Doctor looked alarmed.

"Who exactly are you?" the boss-man asked, looking between the three of them, his eyes lingering on Rose and Willow, causing Willow to squirm uncomfortably.

"I'm the Doctor. And who are you?" the Doctor asked, trying his hardest to be calm when he saw the man looking at Willow.

"Like you don't know. We're hidden away with the most valuable collection of extra-terrestrial in the world and you just stumbled in by mistake," the boss scoffed.

"Pretty much sums me up, yeah," the Doctor said.

"The question is, how did you get in? 53 floors down. With your little cat burglar accomplices," the boss-man said, once again looking at Rose and Willow (making the Doctor's blood boil). "Quite a collector yourself, they're rather pretty."

"You are such a pig," Willow snarled at him, disgusted by men like this.

"Yeah, and they're gonna smack you if you keep calling them 'they're,'" Rose said, also having a disgusted look on her face.

"They're English, too!" the boss said, looking at the Doctor, and then turned his head to the younger man. "Hey, little Lord Fauntleroy—got you a couple of girlfriends."

"This is Mr. Henry Van Statten," the younger man introduced his boss.

"And who's he when he's at home?" Rose asked sarcastically.

"Mr. Van Statten owns the Internet," the young man stated.

Willow scoffed softly at that as Rose said, "Don't be stupid, no one owns the Internet."

"And let's just keep the whole world thinking that way, right kids?" Van Statten said, looking smug.

"So you're an expert on just about everything except the things in your museum. Anything you don't understand, you lock up," the Doctor summed up.

"And you claim greater knowledge?" Van Statten asked, raising an eyebrow at the Doctor.

"I don't need to make claims, I know how good I am," the Doctor said, with a bit of arrogance. Willow mimicked a large head to Rose, who grinned. The testosterone was overwhelming in the room, as they were just short of taking them out and comparing lengths. Willow flushed a very deep red at the mental image and shook her head to get rid of it.

"Big ego," Willow whispered to Rose (anything to get rid of the mental image), who snorted.

"And yet, I captured you. Right next to the Cage. What were you doing down there?" Van Statten asked.

"The Cage contains my one living specimen," Van Statten explained.

"And what's that?" the Doctor asked, curious to know what poor creature was down there.

"Like you don't know," Van Statten scoffed.

"Show me," the Doctor simply ordered.

"You wanna see it?" Van Statten asked, just short of rubbing his hands together like a villain would.

"Blimey, you can smell the testosterone," Rose said and Willow giggled quietly and had to shake her head again as a certain image entered her mind once more (of course, she was bright red, just like her hair).

"Goddard—inform the Cage. We're heading down," Van Statten ordered the woman in the power suit and she nodded.

"You—English," Van Statten said to the young man. "Look after the girls. Canoodle or spoon, or whatever it is you British do. And you—Doctor with no name...Come and see my pet."

The Doctor gave an apologetic look to Rose and Willow (lingering more on Willow), as the young man, introducing himself to the cousins as Adam, led them down several corridors, as well as a up a small flight of stairs, to his workshop where he kept a lot more alien artifacts.

"Sorry about the mess," he apologized to Rose and Willow. "Mr. Van Statten sort of lets me do my own thing. So long as I deliver the goods..."

Willow walked around the room, examining each of the artifacts, grazing her fingers over them gently, as if afraid to break or damage them. She was amazed at the amount of alien objects that Van Statten had collected. She would bet her key to the Tardis (not literally, of course) that not all of them were obtained legally.

"What do you think—that is?" Adam asked, handing Rose an object, looking between the two cousins for their opinion.

"Er...a lump of metal?" Rose said, sounding unsure.

"Yeah, what she said," Willow said quietly, eyebrows furrowed at the object.

"Yeah. Yeah, but I think—well, I'm almost certain—it's from the hull of a spacecraft," Adam said, trying to sound impressive. Willow just rolled her eyes; they got enough of that from the Doctor already.

Rose carefully put down the lump of metal, gently, of course, as Adam said, "The thing is, it's all true. Everything the United Nations tries to keep quiet—spacecrafts—aliens—visitors to Earth—they really exist."

"That's amazing," Rose said, trying her hardest to sound impressed. Willow, also, was putting on a mask of being impressed on her face. But it was all an act for the girls. They didn't want any of these people to know who or what the Doctor really was.

"I know it sounds incredible, but I honestly believe that the whole universe is teeming with life," Adam said, getting excited.

"I'm gob-smacked, yeah. And you do what? Sit here and catalogue it?" Rose asked, smiling slightly, trying not to laugh.

"Best job in the world," Adam said proudly, grinning.

"Imagine if you could get out there. Travel amongst the stars and see it for real," Rose said, painting a picture for him.

"It would be amazing," Willow said dreamily, playing along.

"Yeah...I'd give anything. But I don't think it's ever gonna happen—not in our lifetimes," Adam said, deflating slightly.

"Oh, you never know...what about all those people who say they've been inside spaceships and things and talked to aliens?" Rose said and the two girls shared a secret smile.

"I think they're nutters," Adam said.

"Yeah, me too," Rose said, still smiling.

"What if I said I was a nutter, too?" Willow whispered, like it was a secret.

"Then I might have to believe you," Adam said, smirking at her, eyeing her up and down. Willow shuddered, but not in a good way and wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"So, how'd you end up here?" Rose asked, genuinely interested.

"Van Statten has agents all over the world looking for geniuses to recruit," Adam said.

"Ah, right, you're a genius," Rose said, sounding slightly sarcastic.

"Sorry, but yeah...can't help it, I was born clever," Adam said, sounding arrogant. Willow had to hide her face to keep from laughing out loud, while Rose just smiled politely at him.

"When I was eight, I logged onto the US Defense System—nearly caused World War Three," Adam said, sniggering.

"What, and that's funny is it?" Rose asked, sounding slightly horrified.

"I don't think so," Willow said, shaking her head in disbelief that this kid thought it was funny.

"Well you should've been there! Just to see them running about! Fantastic!" Adam said gleefully.

"You sound like the Doctor," Rose said, scoffing slightly, while Willow smiled fondly at the thought of the Doctor.

"Are you and him...?" Adam asked, gesturing to Rose.

"No, we're just friends," Rose said. "Willow here likes him. And I mean, like him, like him."

"Rose!" Willow hissed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Good," Adam said, nodding, staring at the cleavage her crossed arms made. Willow dropped her arms and glared at the kid, not liking him very much

"Why's it good?" Rose asked, eyeing him also in dislike.

"Just is," Adam said, shrugging as if it didn't really matter.

There was a pause, and then Willow cleared her throat to ease the awkward silence of the room. Rose took that as her cue to start more conversation.

"So...wouldn't you rather be downstairs?" Rose asked. "I mean, you've got these bits of metal and stuff, but Mr. Van Statten's got a living creature down there."

"Yeah...yeah well I did ask but he keeps it to himself. Although—if you're a genius—it does take long to patch in on the comms system," Adam said.

"Let's have a look then," Rose said, flirting to get him to do it.

Adam looked dazed for a moment and then went over to the computer and typed a few keys, with Rose and Willow peering over his shoulder, though Willow stayed far enough away from the kid.

"It doesn't do much—the alien. It's weird, it's kind of...useless, it's just like this...great big pepper pot," Adam said, talking with his hands.

On computer monitor, a video popped up from the camera inside the Cage. It provided Willow and Rose with a live feed of what was happening. There was a man approaching the alien with what looked like a cattle prod began to torture it. Willow had to cover her ears in horror as the alien screamed out in pain and anguish.

"It's being tortured! Where's the Doctor?" Rose asked, alarmed.

"I don't know," Adam said, a slight sick look on his face as he watched the video.

"Take us down there. Now," Rose demanded in anger. She stormed out of the room, with Willow right on her tail, also quite pissed off.

"Hang on!" Adam shouted, running to catch up to them. He then took the lead and led the girls to the small lobby outside of the Cage.

"Hold it right there!" a guard said, raising his gun slightly in threat.

Adam held out his ID card, much like Harriet Jones had. "Level three access. Special clearance from Mr. Van Statten."

The guard looked at the card then nodded, lowering his weapon, letting them pass into the Cage. Willow felt terrified suddenly, stepping foot into the Cage. Catching sight of the chained-up alien, Willow stared at it with mixed feelings. She felt sorry for the creature, but she had a bad feeling in her gut that something was wrong about it; that it was a very dangerous creature.

"Don't get too close..." Adam warned the cousins.

Willow inched a few steps closer to the alien in caution, keeping Rose slightly behind her in protection. The creature watched the two new humans with its eyestalk.

"Hello?" Rose asked with a slightly shaky voice.

"Can you hear us?" Willow asked, wary of the alien.

The alien continued to watch them in silence, trying to figure out if this was some new form of torture. Willow inched closer to the alien, concerned about it, deciding to ignore her gut feelings.

"Are you in pain? My name's Rose Tyler and this is my cousin Willow Tyler. We've got a friend, he can help. He's called the Doctor. What's your name?" Rose asked the alien.

"YES," the alien said, in a weird machine-like voice, causing Willow to stumble backwards in fear, pushing Rose behind her again.

"What?" Rose asked, peering around Willow. The alien raised its eyepiece to look at their faces.

"I AM IN PAIN. THEY TORTURED ME. BUT STILL THEY FEAR ME. DO YOU FEAR ME?" the alien asked.

"No," Rose said, stepping out from around Willow.

"I don't," Willow said, masking her face into a blank one, ignoring the feeling in her stomach to get out of there.

"I AM DYING," the creature said, lowering its eyepiece.

"No, we can help!" Rose said. Willow felt torn: on one hand, she felt extremely sorry for the alien (nobody deserved to be tortured like that), but she still had that pressing feeling that something was going to go very wrong. She then decided that it was best to help this poor creature and then let the Doctor deal with it.

"I WELCOME DEATH. BUT I AM GLAD...THAT BEFORE I DIE...I MET TWO HUMANS WHO WERE NOT AFRAID," the creature said and both girls felt pity and sadness for the creature instantly.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Rose asked, sadness colouring her voice.

"MY RACE IS DEAD. I SHALL DIE ALONE," the alien said.

Willow had tears in her eyes, ready to start falling down her face and she felt an extreme urge to touch the alien, to comfort it by touching it, like she would any other person. She reached out her hand and touched the alien on the head piece, getting ready to pat it gently.

"Willow, no!" Adam yelled at her. He had grabbed Rose, as he had seen her almost touch it, and pulled her back, but couldn't get to Willow in time. The place where she had touched the alien burned, as if it was on fire and she let out a shriek of pain. Willow yanked her hand back, cradling her throbbing hand to her chest. The alien's tone changed from weak-sounding to stronger. Willow took several steps back in fear, her eyes wide at what she had done.

"GENETIC MATERIAL EXTRAPOLATED—INITIATE CELLULAR RECONSTRUCTION!" the alien said. It burst out of the chains that were holding it and sparks flew from it. Another guard ran into the room, taking in the scene before him.

"What the hell have you done?" he exclaimed in fear, looking between Willow and the creature in fear. He approached the alien and it pointed its suction cup at him threateningly.

"Whatcha gonna do? Sucker me to death?" the guard asked sarcastically, trying to cover up his fear of the creature.

The alien did just that: it placed the suction cup right over the guard's face and squeezed. Willow screamed as she heard the man's skull cracking. Rose grabbed Willow's hand and pulled her outside, with Adam following them, his face white. Willow shook and was sobbing, the guilt weighing down on her shoulders and heart. It was her fault that that guard was probably dead, if only she hadn't touched the alien she knew nothing about.

"It's killing him! Do something!" Rose yelled to the guard that they had passed in the lobby earlier.

"Condition red! Repeat, condition red! This is not a drill!" the guard announced over the intercom to the entire building.

Suddenly, they heard the Doctor's voice ordered, "You've got to keep it in that cell."

"It's my fault, Doctor. I touched it," Willow said, sobbing and feeling very idiotic.

"I've sealed the compartment. It can't get out, that lock's got a billion combinations," the guard from the lobby said.

"The Dalek's a genius. It can calculate a thousand billion combinations in one second flat," the Doctor said and if proving his point, just a couple of seconds later, the door was open and the Dalek came out.

"Open fire!" a security guard said, aiming his gun at the Dalek, along with his fellow soldiers. They all shot at the Dalek, but it didn't do a single thing

"Don't shoot it, I want it unharmed!" Van Statten shouted from over the intercom.

"Rose, Willow, get out of there!" the Doctor said desperately, worry in his voice.

The Dalek advanced menacingly on everyone. The security guards kept their automatic rifles, but the bullets were having no affect on the Dalek whatsoever. The guard from the lobby turned to a female guard that was standing near him and said, "De Maggio—take the civilians and get them out alive. That is your job, got that?"

"You—with me," De Maggio said to Willow, Rose, and Adam. Rose had to tug on Willow's arm to get her to follow (Willow was frozen in place in fear and guilt). The trio followed De Maggio out of the room as quickly as they could, running past a bunch of security guards that were going to fight the Dalek.

"Civilians! Let them through!" De Maggio said, pushing Rose, Willow, and Adam ahead of her. They all ran as fast as they could until the three of them came to a flight of stairs.

"Stairs! That's more like it!" Rose said happily.

"Keep running!" Willow panted, panicking, pushing at Rose's back to get her to move.

"It hasn't got legs, it's stuck!" Rose said happily, not letting Willow push her anywhere.

"It's coming! Get up!" De Maggio ordered, joining them and hugging her weapon tightly to her chest.

The four of the frightened humans ran up the stairs and then looked out over the railings to watch the Dalek; it stopped at the foot of the stairs. Willow sighed with relief as the alien couldn't get to them anymore.

"Great big alien death machine. Defeated by a flight of stairs," Adam called down to it mockingly.

"Don't mock it, you'll make it mad," Willow said, horrified at the thought of making this situation even worse.

"Make it mad? It's a machine," Adam scoffed, making Willow blush slightly, feeling stupid now.

The Dalek was still staring creepily at all of them, making Willow shudder in fear and De Maggio had her gun pointing at it. Willow gripped the railing of the stairs tightly to hide the fact that her hands were shaking quite badly as De Maggio addressed the alien.

"Now, listen to me. I demand that you return to your Cage. If you want to negotiate, then I guarantee that Mr. Van Statten will be willing to talk. I accept that we imprisoned you and maybe that was wrong. But people have died, and that stops. Right now. The killing stops, have you got that?" De Maggio demanded of the alien.

The Dalek just kept watching them, saying nothing. Willow had a very bad feeling that it wasn't over yet, that the Dalek had something big up its sleeve (metaphorically speaking, of course, 'cos the Daleks don't have sleeves).

"I demand that you surrender, is that clear?" De Maggio ordered in a commanding voice.

The was a short pause, then, "EL-EV-ATE," the Dalek said.

Willow watched, horrified and shocked, as the Dalek levitated in the air and flew up the first few steps. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. She pushed on Rose again to get her cousin to move, but Rose was frozen in place.

"Oh, my gosh," Rose said, just as stunned and horrified as Willow was as the Dalek continued up the stairs.

"Adam, get them out of here," De Maggio ordered.

"Come with us, you can't stop it!" Rose said urgently.

"Someone's got to try. Now get out!" De Maggio said, pushing the girls away. Rose, Willow, and Adam went up the final few steps. A few minutes later, they hear the sound of De Maggio, screaming. The three of them ran down the corridor a floor above the Dalek, all of them terrified. Willow had silent tears of fear running down her face, struggling not to stumble and trip over her own feet. She kept running until with Rose and Adam as they emerged into an open area that held multiple soldiers, all aiming and ready to fire at the young people.

"Hold your fire!" someone shouted. Willow, Rose, and Adam all skidded to a stop, eyes wide at nearly being shot at, and by the good guys, too.

"You three, get the hell out of there!" the same guard shouted out, still aiming his gun at the doorway. Willow pulled Rose's arm and ran out the doorway, but Rose pulled back and stopped for a moment to watch. Willow continued to tug on her cousin's arm, scared to death, as the Dalek entered the room, but it also stopped just as it entered. It looked at the three young people, but focused on Willow's face, causing her to choke out a sob. It turned its whole body in their direction, preparing to move towards them. Neither Rose, nor Willow, got a chance to see what would happen next, because Adam grabbed one of each of their arms and tried to pull them out of the room. Willow stopped him, as did Rose, looking at the Dalek in morbid curiosity as to why it had been looking right at her before.

"It was looking right at her," Rose said, looking wide-eyed at her cousin, who looked absolutely petrified.

"Yeah, it wants to slaughter us!" Adam said, his voice rising in pitch slightly from fear.

Rose pulled her hand away and shouted at him, "I know! But it was looking right at my cousin!"

"I don't know why it did," Willow said, visibly shaking. She clenched her fists tightly to her sides, determined to be stronger for her cousin.

"So? It's just a sort of metal eye thing, it's looking all around!" Adam argued.

Rose shook her head and said, "I don't know...it's like there's something inside looking at her, like...like it knew her." She watched her cousin closely. She was getting concerned at the blank look that was taking over her face.

"I think it's because I touched it," Willow said quietly, after taking a few deep breaths to calm herself. She made a promise to herself then and there that she was going to be strong for Rose, to protect her family at all costs, even if it meant her own life. Rose meant everything to her.

The four of them turned and ran as the Dalek was starting to glide towards them. Willow jumped as gun fire broke out behind them but took another breath and sighed in relief as they made it to another flight of stairs, with Adam in the lead. Rose and Willow were following closely behind him, the former of which, was on the phone with the Doctor. Willow knew that the faster they climbed the stairs, the closer they would be to the Doctor, who would keep them safe.

"This isn't the best time," Rose said in equal parts irritation, breathlessness, and fear as she put the phone on speaker.

"Where are you two?" the Doctor asked, worry in his voice.

"Level 49," Rose answered.

"You've got to keep moving—the vault's being sealed off, bulkhead level 46," the Doctor said desperately.

"Can't you stop them closing?" Rose asked, her eyes widening at Willow.

"I'm the one who's closing them. I can't wait and I can't help you. Now, run," the Doctor pleaded.

Willow grabbed Rose's arm and pushed her in front of her, making sure that Rose had more of a chance, as the Dalek was still following behind them. At the top of the stairs, they rounded a corner that said Level 46. Willow tried to put on more speed, as she was two steps behind Rose and Adam, but was unable to. She was panting now, sweat running off her forehead.

"We're nearly there, give us two seconds," Rose said, also puffing.

The bulkhead in front of them began to lower slowly. Adam and Rose were almost there, but Willow was still lagging behind slightly.

"Come on!" Adam said, ducking under the door, safely making it to the other side.

"Willow, hurry! Catch up!" Rose shouted desperately.

Rose was nearly there and almost wasn't going to make it, when Willow made a decision. She shoved Rose forward with all her might, causing Rose to fall to the floor and roll under the bulkhead door from the momentum of the running. The bulkhead closed behind the blonde, leaving Willow on one side, and Adam and Rose on the other. Willow slammed her hands on the bulkhead, stopping herself. She gave herself a small smile, knowing that she was more than likely going to die now, but she had saved Rose from the same fate.

On the other side of the bulkhead, Rose was still on the phone with the Doctor. She had heard Willow collide with the door and gulped. She tried to swallow, but there was a lump in her throat and her eyes started to fill with tears. She held the phone with one hand and held the other up to the bulkhead.

"Rose, where are you? Rose, did you and Willow make it?" the Doctor asked frantically from the other end of the line.

Rose was now sobbing as she managed to choke out, "I made it, but Willow didn't. Doctor, what do we do? I can't let her die." The last word came out forcefully, as Rose started sobbing. The Doctor didn't say anything, his breath hitching slightly.

Willow leaned against the bulkhead, taking deep breaths trying to calm herself and her racing pulse, waiting for the Dalek to round the corner and finish her off. Her mobile trilled, startling her.

She was still slightly breathless as she said, "Hello?"

"Willow, are you okay?" the Doctor asked frantically.

Willow heard a noise come from behind her and she whirled around, phone still up to her ear, to see the Dalek, gliding into view.

"I'm sorry, Doctor, but this is goodbye. Please take care of Rose for me. Tell her I love her," Willow said sadly, accepting her fate. "By the way, I don't blame you for any of this. You or Rose, okay? I chose to come with you, and it was all amazing. Thank you for taking me with you. And tell Aunt Jackie, please. Just make sure she doesn't slap you." She gave a weak chuckle, tears filling her eyes. Willow didn't wait for the Doctor to answer her. She lowered her arm to her side and closed her eyes tightly, waiting for the end.

The Dalek stopped right in front of her and raised its beater-looking weapon and aimed it at the young girl.

"EXTERMINATE!" the Dalek said. The death ray sounded over the phone, and then there was silence, stunning the Doctor as the call ended.

"Willow!" Rose screamed out, tears making her face slightly swollen, from the other side of the bulkhead. Adam held her back as she started pounding on the bulkhead door.

Willow took a shaky breath and opened her eyes to find the Dalek simply sitting there, looking at her. It rolled closer to her, examining her, but never did kill her, as she had expected it to.

"What are you waiting for? Kill me!" Willow said in a soft and shaky voice. "Why are you doing all of this? Killing people?"

"I AM ARMED. I WILL KILL. IT IS MY PURPOSE!" the Dalek said, as if trying to convince itself and her.

"Yeah, and you killed all those poor people! They all died because of you," Willow whispered, saddened at the thought of all the families that had lost someone today. Tears started to leak out of the corners of her eyes.

"THEY ARE DEAD BECAUSE OF US!" the Dalek said.

"What? So what now? What're you waiting for? Why aren't you killing me?" Willow asked quietly, her back still pressed against the bulkhead.

"I FEEL YOUR FEAR," the Dalek said.

"Yeah," Willow breathed out. "You're going to kill me. Of course I'm going to be terrified! I'll bet you would be, too, if someone was going to kill you."

"DALEKS DO NOT FEAR. MUST NOT FEAR," the Dalek said.

Willow gave a small shriek and ducked down as the Dalek shot its death ray on either side of her. She was shaking like a leaf as she slowly stood back up. Her eyes were as wide as saucers as she stared at the Dalek, her fear slightly increased.

"YOU GAVE ME LIFE. WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU GIVEN ME? I AM CONTAMINATED!" the Dalek said, sounding slightly scared.

Rose and Adam, meanwhile, made it to Van Statten's office (Adam had to practically drag her the whole way), where the Doctor was waiting. Suddenly, a projection screen jumped to life, startling everyone in the room. On it, was Willow, with the Dalek standing by her side, its laser aimed at her.

"OPEN THE BULKHEAD OR WILLOW TYLER DIES," the Dalek said.

There was sheer joy on the Doctor's face as he exclaimed, "You're alive!"

"Willow!" Rose exclaimed, tears of joy in her eyes.

"Psh! I'm like a bad penny. I just keep showing up," Willow said quietly, quoting her favorite movie, trying not to show her fear. She was still determined to be brave and strong for Rose, as well as the Doctor.

"I thought you were dead," the Doctor said faintly.

"So clingy," Willow said shyly, causing the Doctor to smile a bit and Rose to smirk, before they both sobered.

"OPEN THE BULKHEAD!" the Dalek said.

"Don't you dare do it, Doctor. My life is nothing compared to the whole world," Willow said shakily, clenching her fists by her side. Her eyes, however, were determined. Even in she had to die, she would do it knowing that the rest of the planet was safe, as well as Rose.

"WHAT USE ARE EMOTIONS IF YOU WILL NOT SAVE THE WOMAN YOU LOVE?" the Dalek asked.

"Don't do it, Doctor!" Willow burst out, realizing somewhere in the back of her mind that the Doctor hadn't denied the Dalek's statement. It earned her a painful jab in the back from the Dalek, causing her to hiss out in pain, knowing that there would be a bruise there. The bulkhead in front of them opened and the Dalek and Willow walked through it (well, the Dalek rolled). The Dalek shoved Willow into a lift, causing her to smack the back wall, as the creature sent the lift up to Van Statten's office and the Doctor.

"Please, don't kill any of them. Rose is my family and I love the Doctor," she admitted to the Dalek (she finally admitted it out loud, and to herself, and to a killing alien machine of all people). "You didn't kill me, so please, I'm begging you, don't kill them."

The Dalek spun its eyepiece around to look at Willow. She let out a shudder as the blue coloured eyestalk settled on her face.

"BUT WHY NOT? WHY ARE YOU ALIVE? MY FUNCTION IS TO KILL. WHAT AM I? WHAT AM I?" the Dalek asked as the lift door opened and Van Statten is waiting outside.

"Stop! Don't move a muscle. It's starting to question itself," Willow said, putting her hands out, as all the occupants of the room had started forward. She sent the Doctor and Rose apologetic looks.

The Dalek glided out of the lift and towards Van Statten. "VAN STATTEN. YOU TORTURED ME. WHY?"

"I wanted to help you, I just—I don't know, I—I was just trying to help. I thought if we could get through to you if we could mend you—I wanted you better, I'm sorry," Van Statten said, looking terrified and backing away. The Dalek still advanced on him threateningly, backing Van Statten against the wall.

"I'm so sorry! I swear! I just wanted you to talk!" Van Statten shrilled in a high-pitch voice. If the situation wasn't so serious, Willow would have let out one of her quiet giggles.

"THEN HEAR ME TALK NOW. EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!" the Dalek said. "EXTERMINATE!"

"Stop! Don't do it! Please, don't kill him!" Willow said, rushing forward to step in between them. The Dalek turned its eyepiece to look at Willow in what she thought was curiosity. The Doctor had made a noise in the back of his throat, taking a slight step forward. Willow held her hand out to him as she continued to address the Dalek.

"Please, don't. You don't have to kill anyone else. Not anymore. Please, there must be something else you want. Just no more killing. Is there something else? Anything you want?" Willow asked in a gentle, soothing tone, trying to calm the Dalek. The Dalek rotated its eyestalk to Van Statten, then back to Willow.

"I WANT FREEDOM," the Dalek finally declared.

"Then you'll have freedom," Willow said firmly, eyeing the Doctor as he went to protest. She led the Dalek out of the office and to an open area.

She sat down on the floor by the Dalek as it shot a bolt of energy at the ceiling, making a small hole. Sunlight shone through the hole, shining brightly on the Dalek.

"You did it. You're out. Ooh, I love the sunshine," Willow said gently, not wanting to upset the Dalek at all.

"HOW...DOES...IT...FEEL?" the Dalek asked.

Willow didn't have a chance to answer because the Dalek opened up the metal casing to reveal the true alien underneath. It looked wrinkly and mutated. It had tentacle-like things that stretched out to feel the sunlight. Willow was watching the Dalek with a bit of disgusted curiosity, and jumped up when the Doctor demanded, "Get out of the way."

Willow turned around with wide eyes to find the Doctor holding a gun and pointing it at the Dalek. Willow just stood in front of the Dalek, staring at him in shock, disbelieving what she was seeing. She held her ground, though, determining that shooting at this creature might provoke it and it would start killing again. Besides, this creature deserved some peace after being tortured for who know how long.

"Willow, get out of the way, now!" the Doctor said, his eyes wild with hate for the Dalek. This creature was the reason that his planet was gone and he was going to kill it.

"No, I can't. I'm not going to let you do this!" Willow said, hands on her hips, her eyes filled with determination.

"That thing killed hundreds of people," the Doctor said, trying to get her to move any way he could.

"Yeah, but he isn't the one who's pointing a gun at me," Willow said, a bit coldly, eyeing the large gun in his hands. Truth be told, she was a bit more afraid of the wild look in the Time Lord's eyes than the alien behind her.

"I've got to do this. I've got to end it. The Daleks destroyed my home, my people. I've got nothing left," the Doctor said, whispering the last bit, his voice full of sadness.

"You're not so different from it, then. Look at it, Doctor," Willow said. She eased out of the way, stepping towards the Doctor but ready to jump back in between them, if necessary. The Dalek was still stretching out, feeling the warmth of the sunlight on its tentacles.

"What's it doing?" the Doctor asked, confused.

"Feeling the sunlight and the freedom, just like it wants. That's all it wants. Can't you understand that, Doctor?" Willow asked, gently laying her hand on his arm, lowering the gun.

"But it can't..." the Doctor said, his voice shaking.

"It wouldn't kill me, or Van Statten. I think it's changing because I touched it and put my feeling and emotions in it. What about you, Doctor? What are you changing into?" Willow asked, gesturing to the gun. The Doctor lowered the gun completely, looking lost.

"I couldn't..." the Doctor said, sounding like he was close to crying. "I wasn't...Oh, Willow. They're all dead."

Willow just pulled him into a hug, the gun forgotten, clattering to the ground. The Doctor clutched her in return, taking comfort from the contact. He pulled away from the red-head when the Dalek addressed him.

"WHY DO WE SURVIVE?" the Dalek asked.

"I don't know," the Doctor said sadly.

"I AM THE LAST OF THE DALEKS," the Dalek said, having trouble speaking.

"You're not even that. Willow did more than regenerate you. You absorbed her DNA. You're mutating," the Doctor said in surprise and fascination.

"INTO WHAT?" the Dalek asked.

"Something new. I'm sorry," the Doctor said, indeed sounding genuinely sorry.

"Isn't this a good thing, though?" Willow asked, looking from the Dalek to the Doctor, confused.

"Not for a Dalek," the Doctor said stiffly.

"I CAN FEEL SO MANY IDEAS. SO MUCH DARKNESS...WILLOW...GIVE ME ORDERS! ORDER ME TO DIE!" the Dalek said demanded.

"I—I don't think I can do that. I'm sorry," Willow said shakily, crying quietly. There was no way that she could order someone to die, no matter what it had done.

"THIS IS NOT LIFE. THIS IS SICKNESS," the Dalek said. "I SHALL NOT BE LIKE YOU. ORDER MY DESTRUCTION! OBEY! OBEY! OBEY!"

"Do it," Willow said, her shoulders slumping in sadness, after she weighed the options. The Doctor laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, knowing that this was a hard thing for her to do.

"ARE YOU FRIGHTENED, WILLOW TYLER?" the Dalek asked.

"Yes," Willow answered quietly, nodding her head.

"SO AM I," the Dalek said. "EXTERMINATE!"

Willow stepped backwards, her eyes wide in fear, and hugged the Doctor around his middle tightly for comfort. The Dalek replaced all of his armor and levitated in the air. The golden orbs along the bottom of the Dalek detached themselves and surrounded the Dalek in a sphere. The Dalek glowed for a second, and then it exploded, the particles evaporating in the air, leaving nothing behind. The Doctor and Willow both looked at where it had been, stunned. The Doctor kept an arm around Willow as they shuffled in silence back to the office.

Rose squealed when she saw her cousin again and hugged her so tightly, that Willow joked quietly a couple of her ribs were cracked. Not bothering to give any goodbyes, deciding that they all wanted out of that place as soon as they could, the three went to the Tardis. The Doctor ran his hand over the blue door, sadness in his eyes.

"Little piece of home. Better than nothing," the Doctor said, guilt, as well as sadness in his voice.

"Is that the end of it? The Time War?" Rose asked (The Doctor and Willow had told her what had happened to the Dalek).

"I'm the only one left. I win. How about that," the Doctor said, not sounding very happy about it.

"The Dalek survived...maybe some of your people did too," Rose said, trying to console the Doctor. Willow, who was still grieving for the Dalek, put a hand silently on the Doctor's leather-covered arm and smiled gently at him.

"I'd know. In here," the Doctor said, gesturing to his head. "Feels like there's on one."

"Well then—good thing we're not going anywhere," Rose said, smiling.

"Yeah," the Doctor said, smiling at Rose and Willow, but more so at Willow. Rose hid her smirk. She then turned in surprise as Adam came up to them.

"We'd better get out. Van Statten's disappeared...they're closing down the base," Adam said. "Goddard says they're going to fill it full of cement! Like it never existed!"

"About time," Rose said.

"This place is awful," Willow said quietly, giving a shudder.

"I'll have to go back home," Adam said, sad at the thought of giving up all his work.

"Better hurry up then. Next flight to Heathrow leaves at 1500 hours," the Doctor said rudely.

"Adam was saying that all his life he's wanted to see the stars," Rose said, hinting to the Doctor.

"Tell him to go stand outside, then," the Doctor said, still being rude. Willow was torn between smacking him on the back of the head for being rude and agreeing with him.

"He's all on his own, Doctor. And he did help," Rose said gently.

"He left Willow down there!" the Doctor argued.

"So did I!" Rose cried out. "And so did you!"

"I'm fine, guys," Willow said quietly, putting her hands up, not wanting to get in the middle of it.

"What're you talking about? We've got to leave!" Adam said, looking bewildered.

"Rose, he's a bit pretty," the Doctor said, looking at Rose, raising his eyebrow at her.

"I hadn't noticed," Rose said, fidgeting with her fingers, a tell that she was lying.

"Sure you didn't," Willow muttered, noticing the twitching. No one heard her, though, which was how she intended it.

"Just like you don't like the Doctor?" Rose snapped at her cousin, having actually heard her.

Willow turned bright red and glared at Rose at the betrayal of her secret. The Doctor raised his eyebrows in question but turned towards the Tardis, ignoring it for now. A pleasant feeling entered his hearts and stomach at the thought of Willow returning his feelings and he grinned to himself.

"On your own head," the Doctor said to Rose, not turning back, so he could hide his grin.

"What're you doing? She said 'cement.' She wasn't joking, we're going to get sealed in," Adam said, confused as to what they were doing.

The Doctor, Rose, and Willow just went into the TARDIS, leaving Adam standing outside to fend for himself. Willow went to the pilot seat and sat heavily on it, tired after what had transpired that day.

"Doctor? What're you doing standing inside a box? Rose? Willow?" Adam said from outside. Willow looked to the door and smiled as he peered inside and then finally stepped in. A moment later, the TARDIS dematerialized, along with a shriek of surprise that made the three time travelers break out in laughter.


	7. The Long Game

Thank you, all, for the reviews, story alerts, and author alerts! It means a lot and keeps me going! Message me if any of you have any questions!

Willow Tyler picked herself up off the grated floor as the Tardis slowly materialized in a new place and time. She gave a huge yawn as she hadn't slept very well the night before. The Doctor, Rose, and Willow had stayed up late (well, it felt late; it's very hard to tell in a time machine), the Doctor telling the cousins about the Time Lords and the Time War. Willow had held her hands up to her mouth the entire time and had hugged the Doctor tightly when he had finished. Now, she completely understood and felt sorry for the Doctor.

"So," the Doctor said to Rose and Willow as they exited the Tardis, "it's 200,000, it's a spaceship...no wait a minute, space station, and us...go and try that gate over there. Off you go!"

The Doctor leaned against the TARDIS, waiting and watching as the two girls looked around in wonder. This was his favourite part. Not going out the doors himself, but watching his companions' faces.

"200,000?" Rose asked in wonder as Willow's eyes widened, taking in every little detail she could.

"200,000," the Doctor confirmed, nodding.

"'Kay," Rose said. The Doctor grinned and raised his eyebrows at the girls (well, mostly Willow). Rose giggled, as Willow turned red, and opened the TARDIS door and called inside, "Adam? Out you come."

Adam, the young British kid they had picked up (like a stray), stepped out with his mouth gaping open at where they were.

"Oh, my gosh," Adam said, awestruck.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," Rose said, patting his arm in a sort of comforting way.

"Where are we?" Adam asked, his mouth still gaping open.

"Good question," Rose said, trying to impress him. "Let's see. So, um...judging by the architecture, I'd say we're around the year 200,000."

Willow had to turn around and face the Doctor to keep from laughing out loud. Seeing his amused face, though, she just about lost it. Her face was turning a deep red and a quiet giggle escaped from her lips. Lips, the Doctor noticed, were very pink and plump as she pressed them together to hold her laughter in. When she pulled herself together, she turned back around to see that Adam was nodding and listening intently to Rose.

"If you listen...engines," Rose said. The Doctor was smiling knowingly at Rose while Willow was still giggling quietly, her hand over her mouth to hide it.

"We're on some sort of space station. Yeah. Definitely a space station. It's a bit warm in here, they could turn the heating down...Tell you what—let's try that gate. Come on!" Rose said. She went over and opened the gate, with Adam following. The Doctor took Willow's hand and grinned at her before following. She flushed red, but was smiling to herself, pleased. The room they entered beyond the gate was overlooking the Earth. Willow gave a barely audible gasp, but the Doctor heard her and smiled.

"Here we go! And this is..." Rose trailed off as she looked down at Earth, stunned by the view. Adam was holding onto the railings as if to steady himself as he went to stand by Rose.

Clara gave a small smirk at the two, and then pulled her hand from the Doctor's to join them at looking at the amazing view out the window. She had seen this view before, but it was still beautiful each time she saw it. Sort of like the Doctor and the Tardis

"...I'll let the Doctor describe it," Rose said, sounding a little awestruck, just like Adam.

"The fourth great and bountiful human empire. And there it is. Planet Earth at its height. Covered with mega-cities, five moons—population 96 billion. The hub of a galactic domain, stretching across a million planets, a million species—with mankind right in the middle," the Doctor said from right behind Willow. A shudder went down her spine as his breath tickled her neck. The Doctor noticed, and smirked, pleased with her reaction.

Adam opened his mouth, but didn't say anything; instead, he fainted with a girlish sigh. Willow covered her mouth, but not before a small giggle escaped.

"He's your boyfriend," the Doctor said to Rose in exasperation.

"Not anymore," Rose said, looking down at Adam in disappointment.

"Willow?" the Doctor said, wanting her opinion.

"Was never interested in him," Willow said, raising her eyebrow at him when he grinned happily at her answer. Rose just rolled her eyes at them, wondering if they were ever going to get together.

Once Adam had finally gained consciousness, the Doctor wanted to explore the space station. They walked down a corridor, with the Doctor's arms around Rose and Adam's shoulders, explaining something to them. Willow was trailing behind them, looking around in awe and astonishment.

"You're gonna like this fantastic period in history. The human race at its most intelligent—culture, art, politics. This era has got fine food, good manners-" the Doctor was saying.

"Out of the way!" a man said rudely. Willow would have giggled, but the man shoved past her, knocking her to the ground.

"Hey!" she exclaimed in surprise, but the guy was gone. The Doctor gently grabbed her elbow, helping her up off the ground, looking both amused and concerned. Willow examined her reddened palms before scowling down the hall in the direction the man had raced off to.

"Fine cuisine?" Rose asked, after examining the fast food in disgust.

"My watch must be wrong," the Doctor said, checking it. He then frowned and said, "No, it's fine...weird."

"That's what comes of showing off," Rose scolded him in amusement. "Your history's not as good as you thought it was."

Willow let out a quiet giggle. It was true; the Doctor did have a big ego and thought he knew everything when he really didn't.

"My history's perfect," the Doctor said, scoffing at the ridiculous notion.

"And your ego's big," Willow pointed out quietly, making Rose laugh and the Doctor raise his eyebrows at the cousins that were ganging up on him. "You didn't deny that," Willow said to him and he smirked at her and then winked, making her flush.

"They're all human. What about the millions of planets? The millions of species? Where are they?" Adam asked in wonder.

"Good question," the Doctor said. "Actually, that IS a good question." He put an arm around Adam's shoulder. "Adam, me old mate, you must be starving," the Doctor said.

"No, I'm just a bit time sick," Adam said.

"Nah, you just need a bit of grub," the Doctor said. He called out to one of the chefs, "Oi, mate—how much is a Cronk burger?"

"Two credits, twenty, sweetheart. Now, join the queue," the chef said, glaring at them for jumping ahead in the long line.

"Money. We need money," the Doctor decided, walking over to what seemed to be an ATM. "Have to use a cash point."

Rose, Adam, and Willow followed him over. Willow watched in disbelief as the Doctor held his sonic screwdriver to the cash point and something fell out of it. It looked like a metal strip to Willow. She scoffed in disappointment as the Doctor handed it to Adam. She frowned. It was theft, plain and simple and it was wrong.

"There you go—pocket money. Don't spend it all on sweets," the Doctor said, walking away.

"How does it work?" Adam asked in confusion.

"Go and find out! Stop nagging me! The thing is, Adam, time travel's like visiting Paris. You can't just read the guide book, you've got to throw yourself in. Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers," the Doctor said.

Rose laughed out loud at that last part as Willow only quietly giggled, still disappointed in the Doctor's thievery. Adam only stared at him, still confused.

"...or is that just me? Stop asking questions, go on, do it!" the Doctor insisted, making a shooing motion with his hands to Adam. Adam turned away and walked into the crowd and Rose went to follow after him.

"Off you go then! Your first date," the Doctor said, slightly sarcastically.

Willow giggled quietly, hiding behind her hand, as Rose said, "You're going to get a smack, you are."

The Doctor grinned at her retreating form, knowing it would never work with them.

"What about me?" Willow asked, slightly curious and letting a bit of the disappointment colour her voice. "D'you want me to leave as well?"

"Nope! You're staying with me. Don't want you to get lost, do we?" the Doctor asked, grinning and winking at her, causing her to blush.

"No more stealing, though," Willow said suddenly, startling the Doctor with her outburst. "It isn't right, no matter what species you are or what planet you're from."

The Doctor slowly nodded, agreeing with her. He offered her his arm, which she took, and led her towards the direction of two women that were nearby. "Right," he said, "c'mon, this way. Let's ask some questions."

"This should be good," Willow muttered under her breath.

"Erm...this is gonna sound daft, but can you tell us where we are?" the Doctor asked the two women, who looked at them strangely. Willow had to hide her giggle by biting her cheek, else the Doctor would have glared at her.

"Floor 139...could they write it any bigger?" the dark-skinned woman asked sarcastically.

"Floor 139 of what?" the Doctor asked, still confused as to where they were.

"Must've been a hell of a party," the same woman said, looking for signs of hangovers.

"Oh, you're on Satellite Five," the other woman said kindly, as she had been in their place before (hung over, that is, not lost from landing a Tardis).

"What's Satellite Five?" the Doctor asked, as Willow bit her lip to hide her smile. She was just as lost as the Doctor, but it was funny, as he was the know-it-all alien.

"Come on, how could you get on board without knowing where you are?" the dark-skinned woman asked.

"Look at me, I'm stupid," the Doctor said pleasantly. Willow fell into another fit of quiet giggles that she hid behind her hand.

"Hang on, wait a minute—are you a test? Some sort of management test kind of thing?" the brunette woman asked.

"You've got me. Well done. You're too clever for me," the Doctor said, showing the women his psychic paper with a grin. Willow smiled at his ears, as they rose slightly when he grinned. She thought that it was very endearing when they did that.

"We were warned about this in basic training. All workers have to be versed in company promotion," the brunette said.

"Right. Fire away, ask your questions. If it gets me to Floor 500 I'll do anything," the dark-skinned woman said, determination in her eyes.

"Why, what happens on Floor 500?" the Doctor asked, again clueless.

"The walls are made of gold. And you should know...Mr. Management. So...this is what we do," the dark-skinned woman said, walking away to a screen. The brunette smiled at the Doctor and Willow nervously, not sure how they would react. It was one thing for management to be on Floor 500 and another thing entirely for them to be down here, witnessing what they did first hand.

"Latest news...sandstorms on the new Venus archipelago. Two hundred dead. Glasgow water riots into their third day...spacelane 37 closed by sunspot activity. And over on the Bad Wolf channel, the Face of Boe has just announced he's pregnant," the dark-skinned woman said, tapping away at the screen, pulling up articles.

"I get it. You broadcast the news," the Doctor said in realization. Willow just furrowed her eyebrows at the words 'Bad Wolf.' She knew she had heard them before, but just shook her head of the thought.

"We _are_ the news," the dark-skinned said, a fire in her eyes. "We're the journalists. We write it, package it and sell it."

"Wow," Willow said in awe of all of it.

"Who's that?" the dark-skinned asked, just now taking notice of Willow. "Another person from Management?"

"Err...yeah, I am," Willow stuttered, glancing at the Doctor, who looked amused.

"Well, nice meeting you," the Doctor said, grinning. "We've got to find our friends."

"Oi! We're coming, too!" the dark-skinned woman said, following after them.

The Doctor took Willow's hand (she flushed slightly at the tingles that went up her arm) and pulled her through the crowd to the canteen area where Rose and Adam were. Overhead, an alarm sounded.

"Oi! Mutt and Jeff! Over here!" the Doctor shouted, making Willow jump. The Doctor felt it and grinned at her. Rose was beaming and ran over to join them; Adam paused for a minute, then went over as well. Willow thought she saw him put something in his pocket and narrowed her eyes at him. He just looked at her, half nervously, and half innocently.

The two journalists led the four of them to a room where they were joined by several other people, whom Willow assumed were also journalists. There was a dentist-like chair in the middle of the room, on top of an octagon-shaped platform. The other people sat cross-legged in front of odd, rounded pads, on top of which they placed their hands. Adam, the Doctor, Willow, and Rose stood against a rail on the other side of the room. Willow watched with a mix of curiosity and wariness, with just a hint of fear.

"Now. Everybody behave," the dark-skinned woman, who had introduced herself as Cathica said to the whole room. "We have a management inspection." To the Doctor and Willow, she said, "How do you want it? By the book?"

"Oh, right from scratch, thanks," the Doctor said, and Willow nodded, not knowing exactly what she was agreeing to.

Cathica turned away and the Doctor, Rose smirked at each other. Willow just watched the journalists with furrowed eyebrows, wondering what they were up to.

"Ok, so—ladies and gentlemen, multisex, undecided or robot—my name is Cathica Santini Kadainy. That's Cathica with a 'C', in case you want to write to Floor 500 praising me, and please...do..." Cathica said. The Doctor grinned and Willow broke a small smile at the woman's arrogance. _It's almost as bad as the Doctor's_ Willow thought.

"Now, please feel free to ask any questions. The process of news gathering must be open, honest, and be non-biased. That's company policy," Cathica said to the guests in the room. She smiled at the Doctor and the Doctor nodded back. Willow wrinkled her nose, feeling something boiling in her stomach at the woman grinning at the Doctor. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the feeling and focused on what was happening.

"Actually...it's the law," the brunette, or Suki, pointed out, also smiling at the Doctor. Willow felt the feeling again, only this time coursing through her body. She recognized it as jealousy as she glared at Suki, but Suki didn't see it. The Doctor did, though, and took her hand and squeezed it, grinning down at her (secretly happy that she was jealous; it gave him hope).

"Yes, thank you, Suki," Cathica said, rolling her eyes at the woman's flirting. "Okay, keep it calm...don't show off for the guests...here we go." She lay down on the chair. "And...engage safety..."

The staff held their hands out over the pads. The eight walls around them lit up and Willow looked around in wonder, eyes wide. Cathica snapped her fingers and a small flap in her forehead opened. Willow gasped and gave a jerk backwards as she saw Cathica's brain. The Doctor looked disgusted, Rose alarmed, and Adam leaned forward to get a better look. Willow was a mix of all three, feeling rather sick to her stomach.

"And...3...2...and spike," Cathica said. A blue light went down into her brain and flowed into her. Willow's eyes widened even further, if it were even possible. _What. The. Hell_ she thought to herself, very disgusted by what she was seeing.

"Compressed information, streaming into her. Reports from every city, every country, every planet, and they all get packaged inside her head. She becomes part of the software. Her brain IS the computer," the Doctor explained to his companions, seeing their expressions.

"If it all goes through her, she must be a genius," Rose said in awe.

"Nah. She wouldn't remember any. There's too much, her head would blow up," the Doctor said causing Willow to shudder at the very disturbing mental image. The Doctor began to walk around the room, with Willow and Rose following him. Willow stayed close to the wall, not wanting to get any closer to the woman's brain.

"The brain's the processor. As soon as it closes, she forgets," the Doctor explained, seemingly excited and disturbed by this.

"So, what about all these people round the edge?" Rose asked.

"They've all got tiny little chips in their head, connecting them to her—" the Doctor said. Next to Willow, Rose knelt down next to one of the people for a closer look, but Willow stayed back. This was all a bit too weird for her.

"-and they transmit 600 channels. Every single fact in the empire beams out of this place," the Doctor finished, completing his way around the room. He went back to leaning against the railing with Adam, Willow sticking close to him. It wasn't that she was afraid, but it was just a bit too gross for her. "Now, that's what I call power." He took Willow's hand, sensing her discomfort.

"You alright?" Rose asked Adam in concern.

"I can see her brain," he said, looking very alarmed at the fact. Also, Willow could see a gleam in his eye that she didn't like very much.

"Do you want to get out?" Rose asked gently.

"No...no. This is technology, it's...it's amazing," Adam said in awe, the gleam getting a little stronger.

"This technology's wrong," the Doctor said flatly.

Willow looked up at him, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion at what he meant.

"Trouble?" Rose asked, a smile appearing on her face.

"Oh, yeah," the Doctor said, catching Rose and Willow's eyes. The Doctor smiled at the cousins (more Willow than Rose) and Willow smiled back at him, adrenaline starting to build in her body.

Suki suddenly gasped and jerked her hands off of the pad, as though she had just been electrocuted. The other people sitting in the circle were forced to take their hands off, too, and the lights around the room began to turn off as the power was cut. The beam stopped out of Cathica's head and the little door closed, startling Willow. She grabbed the Doctor's arm, unsure as to what was happening.

"Come off it, Suki, I wasn't even halfway, what was that for?" Cathica asked.

"Sorry, must've been a glitch..." Suki said, sounding unsure. Cathica stood up from the chair and suddenly, there was a booming voice in the room.

"Promotion," the loudspeaker said, making Willow jump.

"This is it. Come on, make it me. Come on, say my name," Cathica said, getting excited. Willow looked over at her, a little concerned and bewilderment.

"Say my name, say my name..." Cathica said, eyes shut and chanting, seemingly almost ready to dance.

"Promotion for...Suki Macrae Cantrell," the loudspeaker said. Suki was standing there with her mouth hanging open in shock while Cathica looked like she was in pain. Her best friend had just stabbed her in the back.

"I don't believe it...Floor 500..." Suki said, awestruck and still in shock.

"How the hell did you manage that? I'm above you!" Cathica exclaimed, looking thoroughly pissed off.

"I don't know, I just applied on the off-chance...and they've said yes!" Suki said, her eyes wide and smiling. She looked ready to burst into tears of happiness and joy at her accomplishment.

"That's so not fair; I've been applying to Floor 500 for three years!" Cathica growled at her friend, eyes narrowed.

"What's Floor 500?" Rose asked, having not been there for the discussion earlier.

"The walls are made of gold," the Doctor explained to Rose, grinning.

The trio of time travelers (plus Adam) followed the two journalists to the lift, where Cathica said goodbye to her friend, still angry about the whole situation.

"Cathica, I'm gonna miss you! Floor 500...Thank you!" Suki said that last bit to the Doctor, after embracing her stiff friend.

"I didn't do anything!" the Doctor insisted, his hands up.

"Well, you're my lucky charm!" Suki said, flirting; Willow scowled at the woman.

"All right! I'll hug anyone!" the Doctor said, causing Suki to giggle as he hugged her. Cathica still wasn't looking at her 'friend' and Rose went over to sit with Adam, smirking knowingly at Willow. Willow, herself, was glaring at Suki as she hugged the Doctor, feeling jealousy coursing through her body.

"Oh, my gosh, I've got to go, I can't keep them waiting-" Suki said. She picked up her bag and rushed into the lift. "I'm sorry! Say goodbye to Steve for me."

The Doctor and Rose smiled at her, but Willow still scowled, which was unlike her. _Of course, though_, Rose thought, _Willow never had a guy to be jealous over before_.

"Bye!" Suki yelled, disappearing behind the lift doors, rising above them to Floor 500.

Willow waved mockingly at Suki, glad she was away from the Doctor. She realized that she was getting very protective of the Doctor and even slightly possessive and it scared her to death.

"You're talking like you'll never see her again. She's only going upstairs," the Doctor said to Cathica, confused.

"We won't. Once you go to Floor 500 you never come back," Cathica said. Willow looked at the closed lift doors, suddenly alarmed and concerned for Suki, despite her flirting with the Doctor. Cathica led the trio (and Adam) to the floor's canteen, and then through it.

"Have you ever been up there?" the Doctor asked Cathica as they walked.

"No. You need a key for the lift, and you only get a key with promotion. No one gets to 500 except for the chosen few," Cathica said, leading them into a room with another chair in it.

"Look, they only give us twenty minutes maintenance, can't you give it a rest?" Cathica asked, very frustrated over the day's events.

"But you've never been to another floor? Not even one floor down?" the Doctor asked, bewildered by this notion.

The Doctor sat down on the chair on the platform and Willow crossed her arms over the back of it, leaning onto it. The Doctor grinned at her and then leaned back, nuzzling her arms with his head, causing her to blush deeply.

"I went to Floor 16 when I first arrived, that's medical, that's when I got my head done, and then I—I came straight here. Satellite Five—you work, eat and sleep on the same floor. That's it, that's all. You're not management, are you?" Cathica asked, accusation in her voice.

"Er-" Willow said, shifting nervously at getting caught.

"At last! She's clever!" the Doctor exclaimed, marveling at how long it took the human to figure it out.

"Yeah, I went along with this guy," Willow said quietly, flushing and pointing down at the Doctor, who grinned at up her.

"Yeah, well, whatever it is, don't involve me. I don't know anything," Cathica said, holding up her hands in a surrender pose.

"Don't you even ask?" the Doctor asked. Willow widened her eyes, amazed at how much people see, but blocked out because they didn't wanna know. It was like they were lying to themselves.

"Well, why _would_ I?" Cathica asked, hands on hips, getting a little frustrated and irritated now.

"You're a journalist! Why's all the crew human?" the Doctor asked.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Cathica asked, confused.

"There's no aliens on board. Why?" the Doctor asked. Willow's mouth gaped open as that thought registering with her finally. She had seen that, but not really noticed it at the time. Strange.

"I don't know—no real reason, they're not banned or anything," Cathica said slowly, as if just realizing it herself.

"Then where are they?" the Doctor asked.

"I suppose immigration's tightened up. It's had to, what, with all the threats," Cathica said, thinking about it.

"What threats?" the Doctor asked.

"I don't know...all of them. Usual stuff. And the price of space warp doubled so that kept the visitors away..." Cathica said, sounding a bit lost before snapping out of it. "Oh, and the government on Traffic Five's collapsed, so that lot stopped coming, you see...just...lots of little reasons, that's all."

"Adding up to one great big fact and you didn't even notice," the Doctor said, shaking his head.

"Doctor, I think if there was any kind of conspiracy, Satellite Five would have seen it. We see everything," Cathica argued.

"I can see better. This society's the wrong shape. Even the technology," the Doctor said.

"It's cutting edge!" Cathica exclaimed.

"It's backward! There's a great big door in your head! You should've chucked this out years ago," the Doctor said.

"So, what do you think is going on?" Rose asked, finally speaking up.

"It's not just this space station, it's the whole attitude. It's the way people think. The great and bountiful human empire's stunted. Something's holding it back," the Doctor said.

"And how would _you_ know?" Cathica asked.

"It's what he does," Willow told the girl quietly, shrugging her shoulders. She then started rubbing her scar on her chin unconsciously.

"Trust me," the Doctor said. "Humanity's been set back about 90 years—when did Satellite Five start broadcasting?"

"91 years ago..." Cathica said.

"Bloody hell," Willow breathed and the Doctor nodded after giving her a reprimanding look for the language.

"I've got an idea," the Doctor said, getting up from the chair and leaving the room. Willow was attached to his hand, blushing slightly at the tingles, as Adam, Rose, and Cathica followed.

He led them all to a place where the Doctor could access the mainframe of the space station. Willow took the opportunity to grab an ever present hair tie off her wrist and barely managed to pull her tightly curled red hair up out of her face and into a ponytail, in case she needed to run. With the Doctor, you never knew. It was days like this that she hated her hair.

"We're _so_ gonna get in trouble," Cathica said, worrying her lip, nervously looking about. The Doctor ignored her, scanning the side of the door with his sonic screwdriver. Willow stood behind him, peering over his shoulder at what he was doing. She didn't notice when the Doctor's ears turned a bit red at her closeness (he could also smell her perfume and he was sure that her breasts were very nearly touching his back).

"You're not allowed to touch the mainframe, you're gonna get told off," Cathica said, trying to see what he was doing.

"Rose, tell her to button it," the Doctor said, not pausing in his work.

"You can't just vandalise the place, someone's gonna notice!" Cathica said, starting to sound hysterical.

"He _did_ just say to be quiet," Willow said quietly, knowing the Doctor needed a bit of hush to work. The Doctor grinned at her in pride as he wrenched the door open.

"This is nothing to do with me, I'm going back to work," Cathica said, having enough of these strangers that were most likely going to get her fired.

"Goodbye!" Willow muttered, as the woman was really beginning to get on her nerves. She rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on as Cathica started walking away.

"Go on then! See ya!" the Doctor said.

Cathica stopped. "I can't just leave you, can I!" she asked in defeat.

"If you wanna be useful, get 'em to turn the heating down," Rose said, fanning herself with her hand dramatically. "It's boiling. What's wrong with this place, can't they do something about it?"

"I don't know, we keep asking—something to do with the turbine," Cathica said, shrugging her shoulder in indifference. Willow sighed, still rubbing her head. Everything about this woman grated on her nerves, something nobody had ever done before. And then the Doctor had to just say something as she was leaving, causing her to stay.

"'Something to do with the turbine,'" the Doctor said, mocking her, causing Willow to crack a small smile. Honestly, if she were braver, she would smack him every time he was rude to someone.

"Well, I don't know!" Cathica huffed.

"Exactly!" the Doctor said. "I give up on you, Cathica. Now, Rose and Willow—look at them."

Willow beamed at him in pride at his comment.

"Rose is asking the right kind of questions," the Doctor continued.

"Oh, thank you," Rose said, as Willow wiped her forehead free of sweat that had started to build up.

"Why is it so hot?" the Doctor said, repeating Rose's question.

"One minute you're worried about the Empire and the next it's the central heating!" Cathica said.

"Well, never underestimate plumbing. Plumbing's very important," the Doctor said, accidentally snapping a bunch of wires he was messing with.

"Here we go—Satellite Five," the Doctor said, turning the screen to Cathica. "Pipes and plumbing. Look at the layout."

The Doctor moved out of the way so that Cathica could see the screen. Willow stood on her tip toes at the Doctor's back, using his shoulders as leverage, to also peer at the screen, trying to make sense of it. She missed the small intake of breath that came from the Doctor.

"This is ridiculous. You've got access to the computer's core. You can look at the archives, the news, the stock exchange...and you're looking at pipes?" Cathica asked in disbelief.

"But there's something wrong," the Doctor said, eyeing the screen.

"I suppose..." Cathica said, looking at the screen.

"Why, what is it?" Rose asked, just as confused as Willow.

"What does all this mean?" Willow asked, indicating to the screen.

"The ventilation system. Cooling ducts, ice filters, all working flat out...channeling massive amounts of heat DOWN," Cathica explained.

"All the way to the top," the Doctor said in realization.

"Floor 500," Rose said.

"Something up there is generating tones and tones of heat," the Doctor said.

"Maybe alien?" Willow said, raising an eyebrow and the Doctor beamed at her.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I feel like I'm missing out on a party. It's all going on upstairs. Fancy a trip?" Rose asked slyly.

"I certainly do," Willow said, smiling at her cousin, who returned it.

"You can't, you need a key," Cathica said.

"Keys are just codes, and I've got the codes right here," the Doctor said, tapping away the screen. "Here we go—override 215.9."

"How come it's giving you the code?" Cathica asked in utter disbelief.

"Someone up there likes me," the Doctor said, looking up at the camera that had been watching them the whole time.

"Right, then, come on, you lot," the Doctor said, and took off for the lift. Willow shuddered at the thought of being watched and then entered the lift after the Doctor and Rose. Cathica made to follow, but then stopped right outside.

"Come on, come with us!" Rose said encouragingly.

"No way!" Cathica said, her eyes wide in fear.

"Bye!" the Doctor said sarcastically, waving. Willow finally plucked up enough courage and smacked his arm, while hissing, "Rude!"

"Well, don't mention my name. When you get in trouble, just don't involve me!" Cathica said and then turned on heel and stalked off.

"Finally," Willow moaned, rubbing her head. "She never shuts up."

"You took the words right outta my mouth. And it seems Adam's given up. Looks like it's just the three of us," the Doctor said to Rose and Willow with a grin.

"Yeah," Rose said, a bit disappointed that Adam had took off. Willow felt a bit of guilt that she hadn't even noticed and then shook it off. She didn't even care. The kid was downright annoying.

"Just how I like it," Willow said quietly, then flushed as the Doctor took her hand in his.

"Good," the Doctor said, beaming at her.

"Yup," Rose said.

"Yeah," Willow sighed happily.

They all grinned at each other (well, Willow mostly just smiled slightly; she never really grinned) and the Doctor put a card into the slot of the controls to get the lift moving. He grabbed Rose's hand with his free one and then squeezed Willow's. She gave a quiet gasp as she felt his thumb stroke the back of her hand, sending shivers down her spine. Rose had seen in and gave a smirk.

The lift finally reached Floor 500 (after listening to the same elevator music repeat itself, only adding to Willow's headache) and the doors opened. Willow stepped out of the lift first, dropping the Doctor's hand, as she peered around in disappointment.

"The walls are not made of gold. You both should go back downstairs," the Doctor said, having a bad feeling about all of this.

"Tough," Rose said.

"We're not leaving you, Doctor," Willow said, laying a hand gently on his arm. She then tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow as they followed Rose, who strode into a much larger room. Willow gasped at the sight that greeted them when they entered the room. A young-looking white-haired man was slowly pacing around the room, hands behind his back, looking from monitor to monitor, keeping an eye on everything that happened in Satellite Five.

"I started without you. This is fascinating. Satellite Five contains every piece of information within the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. Birth certificates, shopping habits, bank statements, and _you_ three...you don't exist!" the white-haired man said suddenly, startling Willow a bit. She stared wide-eyed at this strange man as he laughed suddenly. "Not a trace! No birth—no job—not the slightest kiss. How can you walk through the world and not leave a single footprint?"

Rose suddenly darted to the right and Willow whipped her head around to where her cousin had went. Suki was sitting at one of the screens, looking like a frozen corpse. Willow gasped, feeling a little sick as the Doctor gently rubbed her back.

"Suki! Suki!" Rose cried, kneeling next to her, but Suki didn't respond. "Hello? Can you hear me? Suki? What've you done to her?" she demanded to the white-haired man.

"I think she's dead," the Doctor said. Willow gasped even louder and brought her hands to her mouth in horror. She knew she had had a bad feeling when the woman had entered the lift and she hadn't said a word. She felt terrible and guilty at the thought of possibly being responsible for this woman's death.

"She's working..." Rose said, wide-eyed and horrified.

"They've all got chips in their head, and the chips keep going. Like puppets," the Doctor explained flatly.

"That's terrible," Willow breathed, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

"Ohhhh! You're full of information! But it's only fair we get information back, because apparently, you're no-one," the white-haired man said, laughing and the Doctor just nodded. "It's so rare not to know something. Who are you three?"

"It doesn't matter, 'cause we're off. Nice to meet you," the Doctor said firmly. He grabbed Willow's hand and to Rose, he said, "Come on."

Willow tried to turn to leave, but a robot grabbed her free hand, yanking her away from the Doctor and pulled her arms behind her back painfully. She cried out in pain as beside her, the Doctor had two more of the Drones restraining him and Suki's corpse grabbed Rose's arm, causing the blonde girl to gasp in horror.

"Tell me who you are!" the white-haired man said persistently.

"Since that information's keeping us alive, I'm hardly gonna say, am I?" the Doctor said, snarky.

"Well, perhaps my Editor in Chief can convince you otherwise," the white-haired man said.

"And who's that?" the Doctor said, again using the same tone.

"It may interest you to know that this is _not_ the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. In fact, it's not actually human at all. It's merely a place where humans happen to live," the white-haired man said, as if he were a teacher in a classroom.

There was a growling noise, that sounded angry, causing Willow to jump a bit, pulling on her arm. She held in a whimper of pain, feeling as though her shoulder was going to dislocate at any moment.

"Yeah—sorry. It's a place where humans are _allowed_ to live by kind permission of my client," the white-haired man said in what seemed like a genuine apologetic tone.

He snapped his fingers and pointed upwards to the ceiling. Willow's jaw dropped and she could only describe the thing on the ceiling it as a huge blob with a mouth full of teeth. A blob that was upside down.

"What is that?" Rose asked nervously.

"You mean, that thing's in charge of Satellite Five?" the Doctor asked in shock.

"That 'thing'—as you put it—is in charge of the human race," the white-haired man said, glaring at the term 'thing'.

Willow's eyes widened even further and her mouth hung open in horror at this news and the blob that was over their heads.

"For almost a hundred years, mankind has been shaped and guided, his knowledge and ambition strictly controlled by its broadcast news. Edited by my superior—your master—and humanities guiding light—the mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe," the white-haired man said in pride.

The Jagrafess roared and Willow wished she had her hands free to cover her ears. She dared not move a muscle though, fearing it would hurt even worse if she did.

"I call him Max," the white-haired man said, shrugging his shoulders like it was no big deal.

The Drone behind Willow painfully put a pair of high-tech handcuffs on her. She sighed in relief as her arms were out in front of her again. She wasn't able to move much to help relieve the pain, but it was better then having them painfully behind her back again. She looked to her left and saw that the Doctor and Rose were also put into handcuffs. She wished she could rub her head and block out this annoying man, as her headache was getting a bit worse.

"If we create a climate of fear...then it's easy to keep the borders closed. It's just a matter of emphasis. The right word in the right broadcast repeated often enough can destabilize an economy...invent an enemy...change a vote..." the white-haired man said.

"So, all the people on Earth are like, slaves," Rose said in horror, realizing what they were doing.

"That's sick," Willow said, finally finding her voice. It crackled, as she was getting close to tears.

"Well, now. There's an interesting point. Is a slave a slave if he doesn't know he's enslaved?" the white-haired man sneered at the cousins.

"Yes," the Doctor said simply, fury in his eyes; the fury of a Time Lord.

"Definitely," Willow said fiercely, a fire in her eyes, just not as strong as the Doctor's.

"Oh. I was hoping for a philosophical debate. Is that all I'm going to get? 'Yes' and 'Definitely'?" the white-haired man asked with a bit of sarcasm in his voice.

"Yes," the Doctor said flatly, not wanting to cooperate with this despicable life form.

The white-haired man just laughed and said jokingly, "You're no fun."

"Let me out of these manacles—you'll find out how much fun I am," the Doctor growled menacingly.

"Oh, he's tough, isn't he. But, come on. Isn't it a great system? You've got to admire it, just a little bit," the white-haired man said, holding up his index finger and thumb to indicate a 'little bit'.

"You can't hide something on this scale. Somebody must've noticed," Rose said.

"Besides us," Willow added quietly. "Some clever human out there would have seen it."

"From time to time, someone, yes. But the computer system allows me to see inside their brain...I can see inside their brain...I can see the smallest doubt—and crush it," the white-haired man said, grinning joyfully at thought. "And then they just carry on, living their life. Strutting about downstairs and all over the surface of the Earth like they're SO individual. When of course, they're not. They're just cattle. In that respect, the Jagrafess hasn't changed a thing."

"What about you? You're not a Jagra...uh...a..." Rose said, stuttering over the name.

"Jagrafess," the Doctor said helpfully.

"Jagrafess. You're not a Jagrafess. You're human," Rose pointed out.

"Yeah, well simply being human doesn't pay very well," the white-haired man said, shrugging his shoulders as if it didn't matter to him.

"But you couldn't have done this all on your own," Rose said.

"No! I represent a consortium of banks. Money prefers a long-term investment. Also, the Jagrafess needed a little hand to um...install himself," the white-haired man said. Willow snorted quietly at the mental image that came to her mind: the white-haired man balancing on a ladder, as a crane attempted to lift up this blob of a creature. The Doctor sent her a lopsided grin from the corner of his mouth, knowing what she was thinking.

"No wonder, a creature that size," the Doctor said, still smiling. "What's his life span?"

"Three thousand years," the white-haired man stated proudly.

"That's one hell of a metabolism generating all that heat. That's why Satellite Five's so hot. You pump it out of the creatures, channel it downstairs—Jagrafess stays cool—stays alive. Satellite Five's one great big life support system," the Doctor said in realization.

"But _that's_ why you're so dangerous. Knowledge is power, but you remain unknown," the white-haired man said, giving a small laugh. He then snapped his fingers, causing Willow to snap her teeth together in pain as an electric shock went through her body. She was determined not to make a single sound and give this terrible person satisfaction.

"Who are you?" the white-haired man asked again.

"Don't tell him," Willow stuttered out through the pain. Her knees felt ready to give out at any moment and then she would be withering on the floor in pain. She then, briefly, wondered if this was what it was like to be tasered.

"Leave them alone," the Doctor forced out, grimacing in pain while indicating to Rose and Willow. "I'm the Doctor and they're Rose Tyler and Willow Tyler, we're nothing, we're just wondering."

"Tell me who you are!" the white-haired man snarled again.

"I just said!" the Doctor said frantically, trying to get Rose and Willow out of danger.

"Yeah, but who do you work for? Who sent you? Who knows about us? Who exactly-" the white-haired man said frantically, but then stopped suddenly. Then, he smiled and said calmly, "Time Lord."

"What?" the Doctor asked, shocked.

"Oh, yes! The last of the Time Lords in his traveling machine. Oh, with his little human girls from long ago..." the white-haired man said, touching Rose's face, but when she jerked back, he ran his fingers down her cheek. She went white and was shaking. Willow let out a growl, trying to lurch forward, but electricity once again surged thought her body painfully. She let out a whimper and fell to the floor, jerking in pain.

"You don't know what you're talking about," the Doctor said frantically, concern for Willow written all over his face.

"Time travel," the white-haired man said, continuing to touch Rose's face, as Willow panted for air.

"Someone's been telling you lies," the Doctor said, trying to lie calmly.

"Young mister Adam Mitchell?" the white-haired man asked, snapping his fingers. There was a sudden projection of Adam, lying in a journalist's chair and writhing in pain, shouting out, compressed information flowing into a new hole in his forehead.

"Oh, my gosh—his head!" Rose exclaimed in horror.

"What the hell's he done?" the Doctor asked angrily. "What the hell's he gone and done?"

"Bloody little twerp," Willow puffed, picking herself up off the floor as best she could with the handcuffs. The Doctor quickly looked her over for any injuries and felt a bit of happiness at not finding any. That disappeared in a flash, though.

"They're reading his mind. He's telling them everything!" the Doctor said, very much pissed off now.

"And through him, I know everything about you. Every piece of information in his head is now mine. And you have infinite knowledge, Doctor. The Human Empire is tiny compared to what you've seen in you T-A-R-D-I-S—Tardis," the white-haired man said smugly at this knowledge.

"You'll never get your hands on it. I'll die first," the Doctor snarled in reply.

"Die all you like. I don't need you. I've got the key," the white-haired man said, even smugger. Willow wished she could smack the smug grin right off his face; it was driving her crazy and she hated it.

"You and your boyfriends!" the Doctor huffed angrily to Rose, who bowed her head, feeling the disappointment coming from him.

"Today, _we_ are the headlines. We can rewrite history. We could prevent mankind from ever developing," the white-haired man said.

"And no-one's gonna stop you. Because you've bred a human race that doesn't bother to ask questions. Stupid little slaves, believing every lie. They'll just trot right into the slaughter house if they're told it's made of gold," the Doctor said fiercely. Willow jumped as an alarm suddenly went off, echoing off the cold, frozen walls.

"What's happening?" the Editor said, panicked. "Someone's disengaged the safety."

He snapped his fingers and brought up a projection of Cathica, who was in her chair, compressed information flowing into her brain. Willow actually sighed happily at the sight of the annoying woman.

"Who's that?" the white-haired man asked in disbelief.

"It's Cathica!" Rose exclaimed, also happy.

"And she's thinking. She's using what she knows!" the Doctor said, grinning.

"Terminate her access," the white-haired man ordered Suki.

"Everything I told her about Satellite Five—the pipes—the filters—she's reversing it! Look at that..." the Doctor said as all around them, icicles began to melt. "It's getting hot."

"So take off all your clothes," Willow sang to herself, blushing. She hated that song, so she didn't know why it was coming to her head now of all times.

"I said, terminate!" the white-haired man yelled, placing his own hands over Suki's. "Burn her mind."

"Oh, no you don't. You should've promoted me _years_ back," Cathica announced proudly. The screens around them suddenly exploding in sparks and the Drones fell to the floor, dead. Alarms started blaring as Rose's handcuffs miraculously fell off.

"She's venting the heat up here. The Jagrafess needs to stay cool and now it's sitting on top of a volcano," the Doctor said joyfully. The Jagrafess roared in what sounded like anger and the Doctor laughed loudly.

"Yes! Uh...I'm trying, sir but—I don't know how she did it, it's impossible. A member of staff with an idea-" the white-haired man said frantically. The Jagrafess roared again, cutting him off, ordering him. The white-haired man pushed Suki's body off the chair and tried to operate the computer himself, but to no avail. Rose ran to the Doctor and went through his jacket pockets for the sonic screwdriver, successfully finding it.

"What do I do?" Rose asked, not knowing how to run it.

"Flick the switch!" the Doctor said.

Willow knew that Rose had gotten it right, because she heard the sonic screwdriver buzzing. A small explosion went off nearby, making Rose jump and Willow duck instictively. Soon, the Doctor was free and while Rose started working on Willow's handcuffs, the Doctor said, "Oi, mate—wanna bank on a certainty? Massive heat in a massive body. Massive bang!"

Willow rubbed her sore wrists when she was finally free and flinched as the Doctor grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the way just in time, as a massive blob fell from the Jagrafess onto the floor right where she had been.

"See you in the headlines!" the Doctor said, running for the outer chamber. The Doctor had Willow's hand, and Willow had Rose's, forming a human-ish chain. They were running across Floor 500, dodging large chunks of ice that was falling from the ceiling. They made it safely to the spike room where the information was still streaming into Cathica's head.

The Doctor snapped his fingers happily and the door in Cathica's head closed. She looked up at the Doctor, who grinned at her. The four of them took the lift back down to Floor 139, where the Doctor and Cathica sat a table, with Rose and Willow leaning up against the bar behind them. Willow rubbed her sore arm, where bruises were beginning to form from the drones and the handcuffs.

"We're just gonna go. I hate tidying up. Too many questions. You'll manage," the Doctor said.

"You'll have to stay and explain it—no-one's gonna believe me," Cathica urged.

"Oh, they might start believing a lot of things now. The Human Race should accelerate. All back to normal," the Doctor said.

"What about your friend?" Cathica asked, looking at Adam, who had joined them, much to Willow's disappointment.

"He's not my friend," the Doctor scowled at the young man, who hung his head in shame.

"He's an idiot," Willow growled under her breath. Rose heard her and also felt ashamed, that she had even brought him here in the first place. The Doctor stood up and marched over towards Adam sort of menacingly. Even Willow felt a little afraid for him as she wished the Doctor never looked at her like that; it was fearsome.

"Now, don't-" Rose started to say, but the Doctor ignored her, stopping right in front of the idiot.

"I'm all right now. Much better. I've got the key," Adam said, showing them. "Well, it's...I know...It all worked out for the best, didn't I?"

The Doctor snatched the key from him and grabbed Adam roughly by his arm, while unlocking the Tardis.

"You know, it's not actually my fault, because _you_ were in charge-" Adam tried next, just looking for a way to save his skin from the furious Time Lord.

The Doctor just ignored him and shoved him roughly into the TARDIS. Willow followed the Doctor into the Tardis and stood by the console while the Doctor dematerialized the blue ship. After picking herself up off the floor, Willow followed as the Doctor steered Adam out of the doors. Willow peered her head out of the doors and found herself in a dumpy little sitting room.

"It's my house! I'm home! Oh, my gosh, I'm home!" Adam exclaimed in amazement and also fear. Willow glared at him and smacked him upside the head, amazed that she had found the courage to do so.

"Blimey! What was that for?" Adam exclaimed, rubbing his now tender head.

"For being an idiot," Willow snarled. This moron almost got them killed today. Sure, her headache was gone, but she felt like she had been hit by a truck from the voltage she had been zapped with. She was likely going to be achy and sore for a while.

"Well, that's okay. Blimey. I thought you were going to chuck me out of an airlock," Adam said in relief.

"That's still possible!" Willow snarled in anger.

The Doctor gently shushed her and asked Adam, "Is there something else you want to tell me?"

"No. Um...what do you mean?" Adam asked, clearly playing dumb. The Doctor just huffed and walked over to his phone and picked it up.

"The archive of Satellite Five. One second of that message could've changed the world," he said, setting the phone down and pulling out his sonic screwdriver. He pointed it at the phone and the phone blew up. "That's it, then. See ya," the Doctor said, walking back to the Tardis door.

"How do you mean, 'see ya'?" Adam asked, bewildered.

"As in 'goodbye'," the Doctor said flatly.

"But...what about me? You can't just go, I've got my head—I've got a chip type two, my head opens," Adam said in horror.

"What, like this?" the Doctor asked, and he snapped his fingers, opening up Adam's head.

"Don't," Adam snapped angrily, snapping his fingers, closing his head. _Oh, the pun_, Willow thought to herself.

"Don't do what?" the Doctor asked, snapping his fingers again. Willow giggled quietly as Adam's head opened again.

"Stop it!" Adam yelled, snapping his fingers.

"All right now, Doctor, that's enough. Stop it," Rose said in amusement.

"Thank you," Adam said gratefully to Rose, who then snapped her fingers.

"Oi!" Adam exclaimed, pissed off.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist," Rose said, giggling. Adam closed his head again.

"The whole of history could've changed because of you," the Doctor said, as if talking to a child.

"I just wanted to help," Adam huffed, acting like a toddler.

"You stupid git. That wasn't helping! You almost got us killed!" Willow exclaimed, getting angry again.

"You were just helping yourself," the Doctor said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"And—I'm sorry. I've said I'm sorry, and I am, I really am—but you can't just leave me like this," Adam whimpered.

"Yes I can. 'Cos if you show your head to anyone, they'll dissect you in seconds. You'll have to live a very quiet life. Keep out of trouble. Be average. Unseen. Good luck," the Doctor said, opening the Tardis door.

"But I wanna come with you!" Adam said and Willow snorted. She wondered where all this newfound courage was coming from, but she reckoned it was from traveling with the Doctor.

"I only take the best. I've got Rose and Willow," the Doctor said, pride in his voice. Willow beamed at him, happy that he liked having her around. The door opened in the next room, and Adam started freaking out.

"Oh, my gosh," Adam said, paling.

"Who's that? Jeff? Is that you?" an older woman's voice asked.

"It's me—mum—don't come in, wait there a minute," Adam stuttered in fear.

"You never told me you were coming home!" Adam's mum said. "Hold on, I'll just take my coat off. You should've told me you were coming home. I would've got your favorite tea it."

"Rose...take me with you," Adam pleaded to the blonde.

Rose just stared harshly at Adam before entering the Tardis, not sparing him another glance. Willow followed, but before she shut the door, she snapped both sets of her fingers as fast as she could, giggling quietly at her own amusement. She shut the door behind her, entering, and the Tardis engines started up, disappearing.

The Doctor grinned at her, pointing at the monitor that he had seen what she had done. She flushed when he winked at her and she smiled back, liking her new courage.

**A/N: Sorry this took so long, but here is the new, revised version of The Long Game. So, I finally have internet at home, so I should be able to update more often. That is, if you guy review! Reviews are like hugs!**


	8. Father's Day

**Father's Day**

Rose was leaning against the console in the Tardis, talking animatedly while the Doctor was sitting across from her in the pilot chair, listening. Rose was waving her hands about as she was talking about her father, Pete Tyler, who had also been Willow's uncle. Speaking of Willow, she was currently passed out in her bed in the room that the Tardis had made for her. The Doctor had tried to wake her up, but it had been utterly useless. She was still zonked out from their last adventure on Satellite Five, after which, the Doctor had tried to teach the cousins how to fly the Tardis. Rose had picked it up almost immediately, but Willow was nearly useless at it, which was fine with her; she'd leave the flying to the Doctor.

"That's what mum always says. So, I was thinking...could we? Could we go and see my dad when he was still alive?" Rose asked, getting excited.

"Where's this come from, all of a sudden?" the Doctor asked, suspicious.

"All right then, if we can't, if it goes against the laws of times or something, then never mind, we'll just leave it," Rose said, crossing her arms, acting like it wasn't a big deal, goading him.

"No, I can do anything," the Doctor said, sounding quite proud and smug. "I'm just more worried about you."

"I wanna see him," Rose said eagerly.

"Your wish is my command. But be careful what you wish for," the Doctor said warned, standing up. He walked over to the console and started up the engines of the Tardis. When the blue box landed Rose and the Doctor exited, walking down the road. They wound up at a church, the same church that just so happened that Rose's parents, Pete and Jackie, were getting married in that very day.

"What about Willow?" Rose asked the Doctor.

"She needs to sleep. You humans, sleeping all the time," the Doctor scoffed, but grinned, showing her that he was joking. "She'll come and find us when she wakes up."

"Alright," Rose agreed, nodding. She had seen how tired Willow had been, especially after getting electrocuted by the handcuffs that had been on her. Rose had slept, too, but had gotten up rather early, eager to run a new idea by the Doctor. This idea, in fact.

The two companions sat in the back of the church as the ceremony was taking place in front of them. Rose smiled at the weirdness of the situation, but it was also sweet, at seeing her dad for the first time that wasn't a photo.

"I, Peter Alan Tyler, take you, Jacqueline, Angela, Suzette Prentiss..." the Registrar said.

"I, Peter Alan Tyler, take you, Jacqueline Suzanne...Suzette...Anita..." Pete tried to repeat, but stuttered as he was too nervous. Rose could see that he was nearly sweating bullets and could use a good handkerchief. Rose shook her head and smiled as Jackie gave Pete a glare. Pete looked at the Registrar, looking entirely helpless at the woman in front of him.

"Oh, just carry on," Jackie said, shrugging her shoulders. "It's good enough for Lady Di."

The Doctor grinned at Rose, as Jackie hadn't changed after all these years.

"I thought he'd be taller," Rose said finally, looking at her dad with sad eyes.

"...to be my lawful wedded wife, to love and behold 'til death us do part," the Registrar said.

When the ceremony ended, the Doctor and Rose slowly walked back into the Tardis, as Rose tried to process what she had witnessed. Entering through the door, they noticed that the console room was empty, as Willow had not yet waked up. Rose then explained to the Doctor how Pete Tyler had died and how her mum had wished somebody had been there with him when he had passed.

"I wanna be that someone. So he doesn't die alone," Rose said, determination in her eyes.

"November the 7th?" the Doctor asked finally, after thinking it through.

"1987," Rose said in confirmation.

The Doctor started the engines of the Tardis and Rose stood by the console, watching the time rotors falling up and down. When the Tardis reappeared in 1987, November 7th to be exact, Rose opened the doors, peering out before finally stepping out. Outside, it was a sunny day and there was music playing down the street.

"That's so weird. The day my father died...I thought it'd be all sort of grim and stormy, it's just an ordinary day," Rose said, looking around with sadness in her eyes.

"The past is another country. 1987's just the Isle of Wight," the Doctor said, looking down at Rose. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah," Rose said with even more determination. The Doctor shut the door behind him and the two walked down the street, towards the spot where Pete Tyler died.

Not twenty minutes later, the Doctor and Rose came back into the Tardis, Rose looking very sad. The Doctor shook his head and mumbled something about trying again, before putting the Tardis back into orbit to twenty minutes ago, again.

This time 'round, things went slightly better to Rose, as she saved her father from being hit by the car, despite the Doctor yelling at her to stop. That's when shit hit the fan.

Willow, meanwhile, had finally woken up to an empty Tardis. After showering and changing into a cream shirt with green elephants on it, along with a tan plaid blazer and Converse, she headed to the console room, looking for the Doctor and Rose. Finding it empty, she realized that they were probably outside, having an adventure and decided to wait for them.

She wandered through the Tardis, curiously looking into each room, trying to memorize where everything was, but failing because of the sheer size of the Tardis. Suddenly, she ran into a wall, harshly smacking her nose. Clutching at her nose and trying hard not to swear (because it was so unlike her), she turned around to find another wall and another. She immediately started panicking, feeling very claustrophobic in the small, confined space.

Instead of the Tardis that was bigger on the inside, it was a normal police-box, small space and all. She gasped and stifled a scream as the doors of the police-box flew open to reveal a very shocked Doctor. He didn't really seem to register Willow standing there, clutching her bleeding, and probably broken, nose. Instead, he stepped straight inside the police-box (and causing Willow to want to get out of there even more), his face full of surprise and even a hint of fear. He touched the walls of the police-box, almost rather frantically, shoving Willow to the side.

"What happened?" the Doctor asked Willow in a panicked voice.

"I—I don't know!" she said. "One minute, I was trying to find the library, and the next, I ran into a solid wall!" (Only it sounded more like, "I-I dob doe! Ond minie I was twing to fid the libwarwy, and the next I wan into solid wall!" due to her nose).

"Rose!" the Doctor exclaimed, running off, with Willow trailing after him, still clutching her nose. She was very confused as to what was going on, as she hadn't been present when Rose had decided to see her dad.

"Where is Rose?" she asked, looking around, trying to figure out where they were. It looked like the eighties, that much she could see by the women's hair styles.

"Not now!" the Doctor yelled out behind him, shocking Willow. The Doctor hadn't yelled at her before and it sent a sliver of pain into her chest. She held back tears as she pulled out her mobile, trying to phone Rose. She was panting, trying to breathe (she couldn't breathe through her nose, obviously), as she still ran after the Doctor, dialing Rose's number. She pressed the phone to her ear, waiting, but it didn't even ring. She didn't hear Rose's familiar voice announcing her voice mail. Instead, what she heard was, "Watson, come here, we need you." The unfamiliar voice repeated in her ear over and over until she hung up, slipping her mobile back into her pocket.

The Doctor stopped in the middle of the street (causing Willow to nearly run into him) pulling out his sonic screwdriver, scanning the area. After scanning for 2005 tech in the area, he got a lock on Rose's mobile, and took off running down a new street, with Willow struggling to keep up (and breathe). The duo eventually arrived at a church, where Clara was relieved to catch sight of Rose.

"Rose!" she called out to her cousin, the same time the Doctor did.

Rose heard the both of them calling and turned and smiled smugly at the Doctor, as though she knew the Doctor would return, just like she told him he would. Willow, however, was still very much confused as to what was happening.

"Get in the church!" the Doctor yelled, sounding urgent and Rose's smiled faded.

"Doctor!" Willow gasped, pointing to the left of Rose. The Doctor whipped his head to look where she pointed. Rose followed their gazes and a very large, black winged creature appeared out of thin air. It started to swoop down at Rose, who screamed and just stood there, and then suddenly she was on the ground. The Doctor had sprinted at her and knocked her down to the ground (nearly tackling her). The reaper swooped around again and headed to where Willow was standing. She let out a shriek and dove quickly to the ground, like there was a bomb going off behind her.

"Come on, Willow!" Rose yelled as both she and the Doctor scrambled to their feet.

"Get in the church!" the Doctor yelled out frantically.

Everyone that was nearby (the wedding guests, and not Pete and Jackie's either) started panicking and ran for the church doors, but stopped when another winged creature appeared right in front of the door, effectively blocking it.

"Oh, my gosh. What are they?" a woman asked.

Some of the people that had been inside the church came out to see what was going on and most of them started to scream when they saw what was happening outside.

"Inside!" the Doctor yelled, waving his hands around.

The winged creature swooped down again at the people that had come out to see what the commotion was. They all screamed and scattered, none of them going back to the safety of the church.

"Stay in there!" the Doctor yelled again.

One man stopped trying to leave the church, but the older man that was with him didn't heed the Doctor's warning and tried to run. The winged creature swooped down and engulfed the old man's body with its wings, causing him to disappear entirely. Willow watched in horror as another woman tried to run into the church, but the winged creature flew directly in front of her, cutting her off. The woman screamed loudly and the winged creature seemed to decide that it didn't want her and went after the old priest instead. The Doctor and Willow worked together then to try and herd the remaining people into the church.

"In!" the Doctor yelled. The winged creature swooped down towards the church doors but the Doctor, with the help of Willow, managed to get them pushed shut just in time. The people inside the church that they had managed to save started to panic.

"They can't get in," the Doctor said, talking to Rose and Willow. "Old windows and doors, okay. The older something is, the stronger it is. What else?"

Willow jumped as outside the church, the winged creatures let out a hair-raising screech.

"Go and check the other doors! Move!" the Doctor ordered. Willow ran to her left to another door and made sure it was shut all the way and locked. She let out a sigh of relief before running back towards the Doctor.

"That one over there is good!" she panted out to the Doctor, her hands on her knees. Her nose was still throbbing painfully, but it had stopped bleeding and was clotted finally. She then noticed that a younger version of her Aunt Jackie was standing there, looking strangely at the girl with the wild red hair and bloody nose. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Er, okay. What do you mean, time? What're you jabbering on about, time?" Jackie demanded to the Doctor after reassuring Willow (not that she knew that this was her niece from the future).

"Oh, I might've known you'd argue. Jackie, I'm sick of you complaining-" the Doctor said in exasperation.

"How d'you know my name?" Jackie asked, shocked and Willow let out a quiet giggle. _Aunt_ _Jackie sure hadn't changed at all after all these years_, she thought to herself.

"I haven't got time for this-" the Doctor said, shaking his head.

"I haven't met you in my life!" Jackie yelled over to him, a bit freaked out by this stranger that knew her.

"No, and you never will unless I sort this out. Now, if you don't mind—I've waited a long time to say this—Jackie Tyler, do as I say. Go—and—check—the—doors," the Doctor ordered, frightening the woman.

Jackie just stared at him for a second, before saying, "Yes, sir," and scurried off to check the other doors.

Willow just shook her head at the Doctor, but before she could say anything to him, the man that had lost his father (the old man taken by the winged creature), approached the Doctor.

"I should've done that ages ago," the Doctor said gleefully, watching Jackie hurry to check the door.

"My dad was out there," the young man said sadly, put off by the Doctor's glee. It just wasn't right that this strange Doctor was happy when people had died, his father among them.

"You can mourn him later, right now, we've got to concentrate on keeping ourselves alive," the Doctor said fiercely.

"My dad had-" the young man started to say.

"There's _nothing_ I can do for him," the Doctor insisted. Willow gently patted the man on the shoulder, knowing his pain, as she, too, had lost her parents.

"No. But he had this phone thing. I can't get it to work. I keep getting this voice," the young man said, gesturing to the brick-like mobile. The Doctor took it and randomly dialed a number (which just happened to be Willow's) and listened intently.

"Watson—come here—we need you," the voice said at the other end. Willow's mobile hadn't even rang, not once.

"That's the very first phone call," the Doctor said in shock. "Alexander Graham Bell. I don't think the telephone's gonna be much use." He handed the phone back to the young man.

"But someone must call the police!" man insisted.

"Police can't help you now. No one can," the Doctor answered flatly. "Nothing in this Universe can harm those things. Time's been damaged and they've come to sterilize the wound. By consuming everything in sight." He looked right at Rose when he said that, his eyes narrowed.

"Is this because..." Rose tried to say, her eyes full of guilt. "Is this my fault?"

The Doctor didn't answer her; instead, his eyes spoke for him. He turned and walked past her, disappointment evident all over his face. Willow looked sadly at her cousin before she ran and caught up to the Doctor.

"Doctor!" she called and the Doctor turned around to face her.

"What is it?" he asked, his eyes softening when he saw her.

"I checked that door over there, and it's secure," she said, repeating what she had said earlier when he hadn't heard her.

"Good. How's your nose?" he asked, gently touching it.

"Oh! I had forgotten about it," Willow said, flinching. She had indeed forgotten about the pain for a moment, caught up in trying to help. "But I think it may be broken."

"Nah, it's only slightly bruised," the Doctor said, looking at it closely. _Too close for comfort_, Willow thought, blushing slightly at his lack of personal space.

She took a small step back (taking note of the look of disappointment on his face) and said, "Okay, then. I'm fine. We should worry about all those people that are panicking."

Willow turned and practically fled from the Doctor (very scared at the situation she had been in with him), going to check other doors.

"So, who're you then?" Jackie asked, approaching the red head, startling Willow, causing her to jump.

"What?" Willow asked, wide-eyed, looking around to make sure there was no one else around that Jackie could be talking to.

"Yeah, I'm talking to you. Who're you? You came in with that man who thinks he's in charge," Jackie said fiercely.

"Er—I'm just traveling with him and Rose—er, that blond woman. She's my cousin, you see," Willow explained, not wanting to give anything away to Jackie, as she was sure it was probably against the rules of time or something.

"I don't believe you," Jackie said, crossing her arms over her chest, glaring at the nervous woman.

"I'm sorry, but that's the truth," Willow stuttered, needing to walk away. "Excuse me."

Willow practically sprinted past her and through the crowd. The Doctor was over talking to the couple that was going to get married today (before all of the craziness had happened). Willow, still panicking, went to the other side of the church to sit by herself for a minute. A minute later, Pete Tyler came and sat by her.

"So, you're my niece?" he asked, looking at the woman.

Willow gave him a deer-in-the-headlights look, realizing who he was and what was happening (finally). She looked at the uncle that she had never known, taking in the details of his face, as tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.

He gave a chuckle at the expression on her face and said, "Don't worry, Rose explained everything to me, though I did guess some stuff."

"Oh, um...okay," Willow said in a small voice.

"So Rose tells me that you live her and my Jackie. What happened to my brother?" Pete asked sadly, knowing something had to have happened to his brother and sister-in-law for Willow to live with Jackie.

Willow felt a couple of tears make trails down her face. "They—um—died. In a car accident ten years ago, or about nine years from now. Whichever way you look at it." She let out a watery laugh and the tears started to flow.

"Oh, come here, sweetheart," Pete said sadly, pulling the sobbing red-head into a hug.

"Willow!" Rose called out, looking for her cousin. Willow jumped, jerking out of her uncle's arms and quickly wiped her tears away.

"Thanks, Uncle Pete," she said quietly.

"You're welcome," he said. "Uncle Pete. I like the sound of that." He smiled as she walked away.

Willow wandered over to where Rose was sitting with a baby Rose (not that that isn't weird or anything). A second later, she froze in her steps. There, sitting together with Jackie, were her parents and a little one-year-old Willow. Her eyes widened at the sight of seeing her parents again. She stumbled a couple of steps backwards, shocked.

"Willow?" Rose asked in concern. Amanda turned and locked eyes with the red-head, eyebrow raised in question then shook her head, turning back to listen to what her husband, Robert, was saying.

"Rose," Willow practically whispered, tears gathering again. "It's my parents."

"Go talk to them," Rose encouraged her.

"I—I can't," Willow said, trembling, her face white, like she had seen a ghost (in all fairness, she had, in fact, seen a ghost). Willow turned and fled to where the Doctor was, scared to face her past. The Doctor looked at her in concern, but had bigger things to deal with as he looked at the young man's (who had introduced himself as Stuart) phone.

"This one big enough?" Stuart asked, showing it to the Doctor.

"Fantastic," the Doctor said in excitement, hurrying over to him.

"Is there anything I can do?" Willow asked the Doctor, trying to get her mind on helping, not on her alive parents that were in the room.

"Just need to do a bit of charging up," the Doctor said, putting his sonic screwdriver up to the phone. "And then we can bring everyone back."

Willow took a couple of steps back as the Tardis started to materialize right where she had been standing. The Doctor put on his jacket that he had taken off and stood up to address everyone at once: "Right, no one touches that key. Have you got that? Don't touch it. Anyone touches that key, it'll be—well—ZAP. Just leave it be and everything will be fine. We'll get out of here. All of us. Stuart—Sarah—you're gonna get married, just like I said."

To Willow, it seemed to take a lifetime for the Tardis to fully materialize in the church, but it was doing it, slowly, but surely. She sat at the back of the church, by the Doctor and Rose, waiting.

"When time gets sorted out..." Rose said to the Doctor, trailing off, unable to continue. Willow sat beside her, her knees hugged to her chest, hiding her face in case her parents happened to walk by. She just felt like she wasn't ready to face them, or actually, shouldn't

"Everybody here forgets what happened. And don't worry—the thing that you changed will stay changed," the Doctor said, reassuring her.

"You mean I'll still be alive," Pete said from the pew behind them, startling Willow. She jerked her head up and whirled around to look at him with wide eyes.

"Though I'm meant to be dead," Pete continued. "That's why I haven't done anything with my life. Why I didn't _mean_ anything."

"It doesn't work like that," the Doctor said.

"Rubbish. I'm so useless I couldn't even die properly. Now it's my fault all of this has happened," Pete said. Willow silently started to cry again, the tears slightly stinging her very sore nose.

"This is _my_ fault," Rose reassured him, gently putting a hand on Pete's arm.

"No, love. I'm your dad. It's my job for it to be my fault," Pete said.

"Her dad? How are you her dad? How old were you, twelve?!" Jackie yelled, appearing next to them, hearing the end of the conversation. The Doctor just rolled his eyes at Jackie's shrill voice and scooted closer to Willow. When he saw that she was crying, he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him. She turned her head into his leather jacket, inhaling the scent that was the Doctor.

"It'll be okay," he whispered in her ear, making her shiver.

"Oh, that's DISGUSTING!" Jackie exclaimed and Willow gave a watery chuckle at her Aunt's antics.

"Jacks—listen," Pete said, standing up. "This is Rose."

"Rose? How sick is that? You give my daughter a second name? How many are there? Do you call them _all_ Rose?" Jackie hissed.

"Oh, for goodness sake, look! It's the _same_ Rose!" Pete insisted. He took the baby Rose from Jackie's arms and placed her in the 19-year-old Rose's arms.

"Rose! No!" the Doctor yelled. He pulled the baby Rose from Rose's arms, but it was too late. A winged creature appeared in the middle of the church and immediately everyone started screaming and scrambling to their feet. Willow jumped to her feet and the Doctor shoved her behind his back to protect her, as he did the same with Rose.

"Everyone! Behind me!" the Doctor yelled and everyone scrambled to get behind the Doctor. "I'm the oldest thing in here."

Willow watched in horror as the Reaper started to swoop down to the Doctor before making a decision. There was no way she was going to let the Doctor die. Everyone would die if he did.

"Doctor!" Rose and Willow shouted at the same time before Willow jumped into action. She sprinted faster than she ever had in her life and put all of her body weight into it as she shoved the Doctor out of the way. The last thing she remembered was the look on the Doctor's face: a mix of surprise and horror.

"Willow!" Rose screamed out, starting to cry. Another winged creature appeared and snatched up the Doctor, while everyone was still staring in shock at where Willow had last been.

Without the Doctor, the Tardis started to disappear. One of the winged creatures swooped around the church and flew through the still semi-transparent Tardis. The key fell from the lock to the floor of the church, no longer glowing.

Willow gave a gasp of air, looking around in bewilderment, as she was no longer in the darkness that had taken her, but rather standing outside of the church. After taking several deep breaths to calm her nerves, she whirled around in a circle before finally finding Rose, who standing just outside the church doors. It was then that Willow remembered the winged creatures and turned her head around, searching the sky for the creatures, but didn't see any. It was then that she knew that Rose must have fixed it, thus causing Willow to reappear. Willow approached her cousin and took in her expression: It was one of great sadness. Willow turned to look and found her Uncle Pete, lying in the middle of the road, dead, or dying.

"No," Willow whispered in horror. She started forward, but Rose was walking over to him already. Willow hung her head and decided that Rose should have her last moments with her dad. Willow jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see the Doctor, a solemn look on his face.

"Doctor!" she cried out, hugging him tightly. He returned the hug, pulling her as close to him as he could.

"You didn't have to do that, you know," the Doctor whispered in her ear, making her shudder, which he felt. He let himself grin slightly, knowing that he affected her like that.

"Yes, I did. You're too important to this Universe," Willow whispered back and it was the Doctor's turn to shiver.

"Thank you, Willow Tyler," the Doctor said, before letting her go (albeit reluctantly). Willow wiped the tears from her face as she watched Rose lean down to kiss her father on the forehead. The Doctor grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the other side of the car that had hit Pete Tyler. Rose, crying, stood up and the Doctor offered his other hand to her. The Doctor, holding one of each of the girls' hands, led them back to the Tardis.

Willow gave one final look back before she entered the Tardis, spying her parents on the steps of the church, standing with Jackie and consoling the new widow. Willow gave a sad smile and shut the Tardis door behind her, going to comfort her cousin.


	9. The Empty Child

**I don't own Doctor Who...or anything for that matter. Merry Christmas everyone!**

**The Empty Child**

Willow Tyler gasped out loud and grabbed onto the Tardis railing tightly to keep her balance, as the Doctor steered it through space. Only mere minutes before, an alarm had gone off in the Tardis, scaring Willow, causing her to fall out of the pilot seat she had been sitting in. The Doctor had jumped up from leaning on the railing and had rushed to the console, looking hard at the monitor before setting the blue box into flight.

"What's the emergency?" Rose asked, rushing around the console with the Doctor, somehow managing to keep her balance.

"It's mauve," the Doctor answered, or not really answered.

"Mauve?" Rose and Willow asked at the same time, with the same confused tone in their voices.

"The universally recognized colour for danger," the Doctor answered, looking at the two of them oddly.

"What happened to red?" Rose asked, grinning, knowing it weirded the Doctor out when they talked at the same time like that.

"I thought that was the 'universally recognized' colour for danger," Willow said, making air quotes as she talked.

"That's just humans. By everyone else's standards, red's camp. Oh, the misunderstandings. All those red alerts, all that dancing," the Doctor said, winking at Willow, who flushed slightly. She toyed with the hem of her floral-patterned blouse, smiling to herself. Rose smirked between the two of them, brushing off her own Union Flag t-shirt.

Rose and Willow leaned over the Doctor's back as he gestured to the object on the monitor that they were following through the Time Vortex. Willow furrowed her eyebrows, leaning in closer to get a better look, but couldn't make out what it was.

"What is it?" she asked, looking at the Doctor.

"I don't know, but it's got a very basic flight computer—I've hacked in, slaved the Tardis. Where it goes, we go," the Doctor answered.

"And how safe is it?" Rose asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Totally," the Doctor said just as part of the console exploded in a shower of sparks.

"Would you like to reconsider your answer?" Willow asked over the noise of the small explosion.

"Okay, reasonably. Should have said reasonably there," the Doctor said sheepishly.

"Yes, you should have," Willow said, giving him a small smirk. She then gasp and held onto the console even more tightly as the Tardis gave a lurch.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no! It's jumping time tracks—getting away from us," the Doctor exclaimed, rushing around the console. Willow made sure not to touch any buttons or levers as she had no talent whatsoever in flying the Tardis.

"What exactly is this thing?" Rose asked, repeating Willow's question.

"No idea," the Doctor also repeated.

Willow gave a mock gasp and said dramatically, "You don't know? The all-knowing Doctor doesn't know something? Gasp!"

The Doctor gave her a look that said he wasn't happy about not knowing, causing Willow to let out a quiet giggle.

"And why are we chasing it?" Rose asked, after shaking her head at the two. She could clearly tell that they liked each other, but both were too stubborn to _do_ anything about it. It was driving Rose crazy at all the _tension_.

"It's mauve and dangerous," the Doctor said. "And about 30 seconds from the centre of London."

Willow let out a quiet, "Shit!" when she fell flat on her arse as the Tardis finally landed. As the Doctor walked by, he held out his hand and helped her up. Rose noticed the blush that appeared on her cousin's face but the Doctor seemed to be oblivious (though he really wasn't).

They exited the Tardis to find themselves an empty alleyway behind some basic houses; they could be anywhere in London, Willow thought.

"Do you know how long we can knock around space without having to bump into Earth?" the Doctor asked rhetorically.

"Um, never?" Willow answered like it was a question.

"Five day?" Rose said. "Or is that just when we're out of milk?"

"Off all the species in all the universe and it has to come out of a cow," the Doctor said.

"Yeah, 'cos it's the best," Willow said, wishing she had some now. "Especially with chocolate in it."

"Tell you what, I'll get you some chocolate milk when we're done here," the Doctor said, linking Willow's arm with his. The Doctor led the two cousins away from the Tardis and down the alleyway, towards the closest road they had landed near.

"Deal," Willow said, grinning at the Doctor, who returned it.

"Must have come down somewhere quite close. Within a mile, anyway. And it can't have been more than a few weeks ago. Maybe a month," the Doctor said nonchalantly.

"A month?" Rose practically shrieked. "We were right behind it!"

"It was jumping time tracks all over the place, we're bound to be a little bit out. Do _you_ two wanna drive?" the Doctor asked, again rhetorically.

"No, thank you!" Willow said, shaking her head frantically, knowing just how terrible she was at driving the blue box. The Doctor looked at her, amused.

"Yeah...how much is 'a little'?" Rose asked, almost fearing the answer.

"A bit," the Doctor answered, causing Willow to giggle quietly. When she looked down at her feet, the Doctor beamed at her. Rose noticed, though, and sent a knowledgeable smirk in her oblivious cousin's direction while rolling her eyes. These two were such hard work to get together.

"Is that _exactly_ a bit?" Rose asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Ish," the Doctor said.

"A month, though? Seriously?" Willow said in a concerned tone. A lot could happen in a month.

"What's the plan, then? Are you gonna do a scan for alien tech or something?" Rose asked hopefully.

"Rose, it hit the middle of London with a very loud bang. I'm gonna ask," the Doctor said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Good luck with that," Willow said with a smirk, spotting a poster behind his head. There was no way he was going to get information about a piece of space junk falling from the sky when bombs from Germany were falling all over the place. It was World War II after all. The Doctor just pulled out his psychic paper and showed it to the girls.

"'Doctor John Smith, Ministry of Asteroids'," Rose read off of the paper. Willow kept it to herself, but the paper was blank to her. She raised an eyebrow at the name and occupation, wondering where he had come up with that one.

"Psychic Paper, tells you-" the Doctor started before Rose cut him off.

"Whatever you want it to tell me, I remember," Rose said, smirking.

"Sorry," the Doctor said.

"No, you're not," Willow scolded, flashing him a small grin as he mock-glared at her. He then beamed at her, not being able to even mock-glare at her for long.

"Not very Spock, is it? Just asking?" Rose said, teasing the Doctor.

"Not everything is all Star Trek, Rose," Willow said and the Doctor smiled at her, but then he frowned at her next comment. "Though Spock is pretty awesome."

At the end of the road, the Doctor found a door and tried to get in, secretly wanting to show off for the girls that wanted something Spock.

"Door—music—people. What d'you think?" the Doctor asked for their opinions.

"I think you should do a scan for alien tech," Rose said, not budging from her opinion.

"I'm with her on this one," Willow said, pointing to Rose with her thumb. "You don't just go around asking if something fell from the sky. You'll just get laughed at."

"What d'you mean?" Rose asked Willow in a whisper. Willow discreetly pointed to the World War II poster on the brick wall nearby and Rose started snickering quietly, both of them trying to hide this from the Doctor. He didn't notice them and instead pulled out his sonic screwdriver and used it to unlock the door.

"Gimme some Spock!" Rose groaned. "For once, would it kill ya?"

"Are you sure about that t-shirt?" the Doctor asked Rose. Rose had found the Union Flag t-shirt in the Tardis wardrobe and wanted to keep it the moment she saw it.

"Too early to say. I'm taking it out for a spin," Rose said, looking down at her shirt.

"Maybe not the best choice," Willow said, looking again at the poster behind the Doctor's head. She buttoned up her wool pea coat, as it was slightly chilly out, and fiddled with the end of her fish-tail braid (how Rose managed to braid her crazy, curly, red hair, she would never know).

"Muuuuu-mmy?" a very creepy, child-like voice echoed through the streets, bouncing off the buildings. Willow started to shiver and crossed her arms to get rid of the goosebumps.

"Did you hear that?" Rose asked Willow, her eyes wide.

"Yeah, it was eerie," Willow said.

"Muuuu-mmy?" the voice said again, causing Willow to shudder.

"There it is again!" Willow hissed to Rose, totally creeped out. But if a child was in danger, she was going to do all that she could to help the poor dear. The cousins glanced down to the Doctor to see him still trying to open the door. He finally got the lock and opened the door, beaming at his accomplishment.

"Come on if you two are coming. Won't take a minute," the Doctor said.

The Doctor left the girls out in the street and went through the door. Rose and Willow look at each other and silently agreed to help the child that was looking for its mother (even if Willow had a bad feeling about this).

"Muuuuumy?" the child's voice called again. Willow led Rose, searching for the source of the voice, till Rose spotted a child on a roof-top.

"Up there!" she said, pointing the child out to Willow.

"Bloody hell!" Willow exclaimed. "How did a child get up there? C'mon!"

"Doctor? Doctor? There's a kid up there!" Rose shouted out for the Doctor, but the Doctor was already inside the building.

"He's not coming! We've gotta do it ourselves!" Willow yelled to Rose, already running around the side, trying to find a way up.

"Are you all right up there?" Rose called out.

"Muuuuu-mmy?" the child called out again.

Willow spotted the stairs on the side of the building and ran to them, shouting out to Rose, who was right on her tail. In the drinking den where the Doctor decided to ask questions, Willow's prediction was coming true. The Doctor had asked about something falling out of the sky, and what did everyone do? They laughed. Never underestimate human beings, he thought, shaking his head in disbelief.

Slightly breathless from all the climbing, Willow and Rose reached the top of the stairs on the roof only to spot the child, still standing near the edge.

"Mummy?" the child asked yet again.

"Okay—hold on! Don't move!" Rose called out, rushing forward, as was Willow, who had a look of horror on her face at the thought of the child falling to his death. The child bent over the edge to look down at the blonde and the red head, when suddenly, a rope fell down right in front of the cousins' faces. Well, Rose's face, at least. It hit Willow in the head.

"You go first," Rose said, still a little breathless and holding the rope out to Willow. Willow blew on her palms before she started to climb the rope. Rose started climbing behind her once there was enough room. Willow panted as she pulled herself up the rope. She had never been very good at climbing ropes in gym when she had been in high school. In face, she had been terrible at it. She really should have insisted that Rose should've gone first. The two cousins inched their way up the rope, each inch getting them closer to the child. Willow's arms started to burn a bit from the effort of climbing.

"Mummy?" the child asked. "Balloon!" the child suddenly said.

The rope, along with Rose and Willow, pulled away from the building and drifted out into the night sky. Willow looked up above her head and gasped out loud.

"Shit! Hang on, Rose!" she exclaimed, putting all her effort into holding on as tightly as she could instead of climbing.

"What is it?" Rose asked, not being able to see past Willow's arse.

"A barrage balloon!" Willow shrieked back. "Just hold on!"

"Doctor!" Rose yelled out and then Willow joined in. Rose wasn't able to see above them, but she sure as hell could look down. London was down below them, which, Rose had to admit, would be a fantastic sight if she wasn't so terrified.

"Doctor! Doctor!" they both yelled, scared for their lives.

"Bloody hell!" Willow exclaimed as she looked at the sight in front of them: German bomber planes were dropping bombs all over London, causing very large explosions.

"Okay...maybe _not_ this t-shirt," Rose gasped, wishing she could close her coat.

"Ya think, Rose?" Willow screamed out. "Shit!"

She instinctively ducked her head (not that it would do her any good) as the German bomber planes zoomed left and right around the cousins. Willow hugged the rope, holding on for dear life. Literally. An explosion went off right near the girls, causing Rose to lose her grip on the rope and fall to London, far below them.

"ROSE!" Willow screamed as Rose fell to her death. Suddenly, a blue beam shot out of nowhere and a male voice called out, "Okay, okay, I've got you."

"Who's got me? Who's got me, and you know...how?" Rose asked in a very panicked voice.

"I'm just programming your descent pattern. Keep as still as you can and keep your hands and feet inside the light field," the male voice said.

"Descent pattern?" Rose asked, still bewildered. Willow still held on tightly, tears gathering in her eyes at the growing pain that was coming from her hands.

"Oh, and could you switch off your cell phone?" the voice asked and Rose made a scoffing noise. If Willow hadn't been so terrified, she would have laughed at the picture in front of her: Rose hanging in mid-air, seemingly floating, and scoffing.

"No, seriously—it interferes with my instrument," the man said as Rose fumbled around in her pockets for her phone.

"You know, no one ever believes that," Rose said, scoffing again, switching it off.

"Thank you. That's much better," the voice said.

"Oh, yeah, that's a real load off, that is. I'm hanging with my cousin in the sky in the middle of a German air raid with the Union Jack across my chest, but hey! My mobile phone's off!" Rose said and the man laughed in amusement.

"Be with you in a moment," the man said.

"Um, Rose, I'm kinda still hanging here and starting to float away!" Willow said, her arms very weak and hands starting to burn extremely bad. Also, she was starting to float away from Rose as the barrage balloon kept on its course. At first, the blue light and Rose had been below her, but now, it was off to her right a few feet.

"Ready for you. Hold tight!" the man said.

"To what!" Rose shrieked.

"Fair point," the man said and Willow could picture some man shrugging.

Willow almost missed it: Rose was there one second, but the next, she was zooming, fast, feet first down the blue light, screaming her head off. As she went farther away from the ship, Willow felt her grip starting to slip.

"Rose! Help!" she yelled out before she lost her grip. For a moment, she was free-falling over London, wanting to scream, but she couldn't get any air. She jerked to a stop, suddenly floating, as the same blue light caught her as well. "Shit," she breathed out in relief, her adrenaline up high.

"Right, same request. Cell phone off, please," the man said.

"What Rose said. That's all rubbish, total shit," Willow said with a huff, pulling out her mobile and switching it off.

"Thank you," the man said. "All right, I won't say hold on, but here goes."

Willow let out a shriek and tried to grab at something, but there was nothing but air. The next second, she found herself in a man's arms. She scrambled, wide-eyed, clutching at him around the neck, felling like she was still free-falling.

"Are you gonna be like your friend and say hello twice?" the man asked. Willow looked wide-eyed over at Rose, who was blushing slightly. Willow started to take deep breathes to try and calm herself down, which seemed to be working.

"Are you both alright?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow at the cousins.

"Fine!" Rose answered quickly.

"Maybe," Willow said shakily. Willow looked over at her cousin and smirked as she saw Rose grinning and staring at the handsome man. Willow had to admit to herself, he _was_ good-looking, but in her mind, the Doctor topped him.

"Why, are you expecting us to faint or something?" Rose asked sarcastically, hands on her hips.

"Well, you both do look a little dizzy..." the man said.

"What about you? You're not even in focus-" Rose started to say, but the man laughed as Rose fainted on the bed that she was on.

"Um, you _can_ put me down now, you know," Willow said to the mysterious man.

"Why? Holding you is just so much fun," the man said with a laugh. Willow turned a little bit pink, but only from embarrassment, not enjoyment, like she did with the Doctor.

"So, what's your name?" Willow asked through grit teeth, only wanting to know his name so she would know who had saved them.

"Captain Jack Harkness, at your service," the man said, bowing with a wink and kissed Willow's hand, making her blush again. "And what might your name be, Red?"

"Willow. Willow Tyler," Willow answered. "Not Red and definitely not interested."

Captain Jack was looking at her peculiarly, as if he was expecting something to happen. A second later, Willow felt dizzy and fainted just like Rose had. Jack grabbed her as quickly as he had her cousin and placed her in another bed, smirking that he had her in his arms again.

Willow frowned as she started to wake up, hearing noises around her, but she didn't open her eyes quite yet. She lay where she was, just listening for a moment.

"...you supposed to be, then?" she heard Rose ask.

"Captain Jack Harkness. 133 Squadron Royal Air force—American Volunteer," Jack replied smoothly.

Willow cracked opened her eyes with a groan to see the so-called Jack holding out a paper to Rose.

"Liar," Rose said. "This is psychic paper. It tells me whatever you want it to tell me."

"How do you know?" Jack asked, seeming surprised.

"Two things. One—I have a friend who uses this all the time," Rose said.

"Ah," Jack said.

"And two—you just handed me a piece of paper telling me you're single and you work out," Rose said with a smirk.

Willow giggled quietly, shaking her head at this man's antics. He didn't seem to give up. Jack leaned forward to take the paper from Rose, looking over at Willow and grinned at seeing her awake.

"Tricky things, psychic paper," Jack said. "Welcome back, Red." He winked at her.

Rose looked at her red-haired cousin and smiled. Willow just shook her head.

"It's Willow," she said to Jack, giving him a slight glare.

"Yeah—can't let your mind wander when you're handing it over," Rose said, handing the psychic paper back to Jack.

"Oh, you 'sort of' have a boyfriend called Mickey Smith but you consider yourself to be footloose and fancy free," Jack said, reading the paper. Willow rolled her eyes; even though she had never particularly warmed up to Mickey, she still felt bad for the guy. He clearly liked Rose a lot.

"Wha-" Rose said, laughing in embarrassment.

"Actually, the word you use is 'available'," Jack said, handing the paper over to Willow, who just shrugged because to her, it was still blank.

"Blank," she said quietly.

"No way.." Rose said, grinning.

"And another one-'very'," Jack said, taking the paper back from Willow.

"Hmm, you're single, like your cousin, but you're in love with the man you're traveling with. Interesting," Jack said. Rose was roaring with laughter, but Willow went bright red.

"Shall we, uh...try and get along _without_ the psychic paper?" Rose asked Jack, calming down to just giggles. Willow was still flushed darker than her hair, hiding her face behind her hands.

"That would be better, wouldn't it?" Jack asked, smirking.

"Nice spaceship," Rose commented, looking around the small space they were in. Willow also looked around at the alien spaceship. She wrinkled her nose, preferring the Tardis over this tiny ship.

"Gets me around," Jack said, noticing Willow's unimpressed face at his ship. Definitely a Time Agent, he thought to himself.

"Very...Spock," Rose said, making Willow giggle quietly. It was very Spock, she had to give him that.

"Who?" Jack asked, confused.

"Guessing you're not a local boy, then," Rose said, raising an eyebrow at him.

Jack looked down at a device on his wrist and said, "Two cell phones, a liquid crystal watch, and fabrics that won't be around for at least another two decades...guessing you're both not local girls..."

Rose sat herself down in the pilots seat, still looking around, while Willow sat up and got off the bunk, stretching. She hissed in pain as her arms hurt like crazy, as did her hands. She looked at her palms and found angry red burns, oozing blood around the edges.

"Guessing right," Rose said. She reached out to touch something, but gasped in pain. Her hands also had burn marks on them from the rope, but not as bad as Willow's.

"Burn your hands on the rope?" Jack asked, looking between the cousins.

"Yeah. We're parked in midair! Can't anyone down there see us?" Rose exclaimed after catching a glimpse out the window.

"No. Can I have a look at your hands for a moment? The both of you," Jack said, noticing that Willow was also looking at her hands, pain on her face.

"Why?" Rose asked, sitting back down again.

"'Cos we don't exactly trust you," Willow said, hiding her hands, her eyes narrowed.

"Please?" Jack asked, reminding Willow of a puppy. She sighed at having no other choice and moved closer to the pilot's chair, so Jack could look at both of their hands at the same time. He ran a scanner over the two sets of hands, noticing Willow's were a little worse than Rose's.

"You can both stop acting now," Jack said suddenly, startling Willow. She gave him a confused look, not knowing what he was talking about. "I know exactly who you both are. I can spot Time Agents a mile away."

"Time Agents?" Rose repeated while Willow sported a bewildered expression on her face. What the hell was a Time Agent? Maybe the Doctor would know. She would have to ask him the next time she saw him.

"I've been expecting one of you guys to show up. Though, not, I must say, by barrage balloon. Do you two often travel that way?" Jack asked in amusement.

"Not really," Willow said, narrowing her eyes at him. Maybe she was right not to trust him. That's what her gut instinct told her, that he wasn't to be trusted.

"Sometimes I get swept off my feet. By balloons," Rose said, smiling and flirting. Jack reached behind him and pulled a piece of cloth off of a shelf. He also pulled the scarf from around his neck and tied Rose's wrists together with it. He then used the piece of cloth to tie together Willow's wrists.

"What the hell?" Willow exclaimed. She had been so lost in thought that she hadn't even noticed him tying her wrists together at first. She tried to yank her hands back, but Jack held onto them tightly so she couldn't move.

"What're you doing?" Rose asked, panicking a little at seeing him restraining Willow.

"Try to keep still," Jack advised.

"Kinky," Willow muttered to herself, flushing at her own comment. Jack heard her and flashed a huge smile, showing her his white teeth. She just shook her head in disbelief. After tying both the girls' wrists, he leaned over Rose and flipped a switch that was over her head. Willow smirked as they were both looking at each other, barely any room between them. There was a sudden beeping sound and little balls of light that looked like miniature fireflies appeared over the burns on both the girls' hands.

Willow looked at the glowing particles that hovered over her palms. They were so interesting and then her eyes widened in amazement as the burns on her hands started to heal and then disappeared entirely.

"Nanogenes. Sub-atomic robots. The air in here's full of them," Jack explained, seeing that Willow and Rose had looks of amazement on their faces. When Jack flipped the switch again, the nanogenes disappeared, and so did the burns on their hands.

"They just repaired three layer of skin on the both of you," Jack said. He quickly took the scarf off of Willow's wrists but took his time on Rose's, his fingers skimming her wrists.

"Well, tell them thanks!" Rose said, then laughed as Jack stood up, smiling.

"We'll get down to business," Jack said, suddenly turning serious. Willow wasn't so sure she liked this situation at all.

"Business?" Rose asked, confused.

"We really shouldn't," Willow said warily, suspicious of this man.

Jack turned around to face the girls holding a bottle of champagne.

"Shall we have a drink on the balcony?" Jack asked the cousins though he was still locking eyes with Rose. He pressed a button and a section of the roof opened up and a set stairs descended to their feet that led to the top of the spaceship. Jack started to climb the stairs and called over his shoulder, "Bring up the glasses."

Willow grabbed a glass for herself (not really planning on using it), and Rose grabbed one for herself and one for Jack. The cousins climbed the stairs, Rose first. When Willow emerged at the top after Rose, she was a little unsteady and then balanced and she gasped in amazement. There, right by where the ship was parked, was Big Ben. Course, it was a little dark, as it was shut off, due to the bombers.

"I'm standing on something," Rose said, laughing nervously. After gazing at Big Ben for a while, Willow took small, unsure baby steps over to Jack. She was putting her foot out first, tapping it to make sure there was something solid where she was going to step. Jack laughed at the sight of both the girls. He took a device out of his pocket and pressed a button. The spaceship immediately appeared under their feet, making Willow stumble back a step back in surprise.

"Okay...you have an invisible spaceship..." Rose said, awe in her voice.

"Holy shit," Willow breathed out, tip toeing to the edge to peer over. Gulping at the height of the ship, she pulled back and hurried back to the safety of the middle of the ship.

"Yeah..." was all Jack said, grinning in amusement, watching Willow.

"Tethered up to Big Ben for some reason..." Rose said, glancing wide-eyed up at the huge clock tower.

"First rule of active camouflage: Park somewhere you'll remember," Jack said, popping the cork out of the bottle of champagne, which made a loud bang. Jack laughed as both the girls jumped. He filled the glasses up, first Willow's, then Rose's. Willow sat down on the spaceship (feeling safer like this than standing) with her legs tucked under her. When Jack wasn't looking, she tossed the champagne over her shoulder and pretended to sip from the glass. She really wasn't one for champagne; it tasted funny to her.

"You know, it's getting a bit late. We should really be getting back," Rose said, after finishing her second glass of champagne.

"We're discussing business," Jack said, raising an eyebrow at her.

"This isn't business. This is champagne and getting my cousin drunk," Rose said, smiling.

"I'm not drunk, I'm only slightly tipsy," Willow said, pretending and grinning. She acted like she was downing what was left in her glass and then held out her glass, which Jack filled back up again, smiling at her. She could tell that his smile was fake, though. His eyes were narrowed at her and she just smiled at him innocently.

"I try never to discuss business with a clear head," Jack said, turning his attention back to Rose (Oooh, a rhyme!). "Are you two traveling alone? Are either of you authorized to negotiate with me?" He asked, standing up and walking over to Rose.

"You know we're not alone," Willow said, throwing the champagne from her glass over her shoulder quickly. "The psychic paper said I was in love with the man we were traveling with." She giggled quietly as an act (and it just felt good to finally admit it out loud) and held out her glass for more.

"What would we be negotiating?" Rose asked, ignoring her (falsely) tipsy red-headed cousin.

"I have something for the Time Agency. Something they'd like to buy. Are either of you in power to make payment?" Jack asked, looking very serious, which Willow knew now that it wasn't a good thing when he was serious.

"Well, we—we should talk to our...companion," Rose said, looking unsure and glancing to Willow, who nodded at her.

"Companion?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Yeah, we should really be getting back to him," Rose said, trying to sound tough, but it wasn't working.

"Him?" Jack asked, playing dumb, knowing the 'companion' was the man Willow was in love with.

"Do you have the time?" Rose asked.

Jack cleared his throat and took the device out of his pocket again. He flicked a switch and Big Ben started chiming right next to them. Willow smiled at his antics. Overall, she definitely preferred the flirty Jack over the serious one.

"Okay, that was flash," Rose said, laughing. "Th—that was on the flash side."

Jack moved closer and placed his hands on Rose's waist. Willow smiled and shook her head at the sight, knowing poor Mickey was long forgotten.

"So...when you say 'companion', just how disappointed should I be?" Jack asked, grinning because he already knew the answer.

"Okay...we're standing in midair..." Rose said.

"Mm-hm," Jack commented.

"On a spaceship...during a German air raid...do you really think now's a good time to be coming on to me...?" Rose said, only half serious. Willow knew for a fact that Rose didn't mind and was glad that he was hitting on her. Jack just raised her hands to his lips and kissed them. When Rose finished speaking, Jack took his lips away and patted her hands, while Rose was all flustered.

"Perhaps not," he said, walking away.

"Well, it was just a suggestion," Rose said, quickly to save the moment.

"Do you like Glenn Miller?" Jack asked, turning back around to face her.

"I love Glenn Miller!" Willow said, making Jack grin. It was true; she had all the Glenn Miller songs she could get her hands on, on her iPod. Jack pointed the little device over his shoulder, and 'Moonlight Serenade' started playing. He helped a still slightly tipsy (but not really, but he didn't know that) Willow to her feet and started slow dancing with her. She would really rather not, but if it got them, somehow, back to the Doctor, she would play along, even if it didn't feel right, dancing with Jack.

"It's 1941. The height of the London Blitz. The height of the German Bombing Campaign. And something else has fallen on London—a fully equipped Chula Warship. The last on in existence..." Jack said. He spun Willow around the grabbed Rose's hand and started slow dancing with her. Willow moved out of the way and sighed in relief that he had chose to dance with Rose instead. Rose eyes closed and she leaned her head on Jack's shoulder. Then, Jack's words registered with Willow, whose eye's widened in horror. Rose didn't seem to notice, though; she was in a haze.

"...armed to the teeth," Jack continued. He pulled back from Rose slightly to look at her. "And I know where it is. Because I parked it."

Rose laughed, his words not getting through to her. Willow, on the other hand, was rooted to the spot, staring at Jack with her mouth gaping open in shock.

"If the Agency can name the right price, I can get it for you. But in two hours, a German bomb is gonna fall on it and destroy it, forever," Jack said. He looked over at Willow, who was suddenly sober (he realized that she had been faking it the whole time), looking more serious than he had since the girls had met him. "That's the deadline. That's the deal. And now, shall we discuss payment?"

"Do you know what I think?" Rose asked, still in a daze from being held by the Captain.

"What?" Jack asked.

"I think you were talking just there," Rose said, dreamily. Willow just rolled her eyes at her cousin, mulling over what Jack had just said. She knew that they had to get to the Doctor as quickly as they could and tell him that they had found the space junk (which actually wasn't junk) and the person responsible.

"Two hours, the bomb falls. There'll be nothing left but dust and a crater," Jack said.

"Promises, promises..." Rose said.

"Are you listening to any of this?" Jack asked.

"Don't worry, I am," Willow said darkly, glaring at the man.

"Yes, but you're drunk," Jack said, laughing (a fake one, Willow noticed).

Willow let out an equally fake laugh and said, "Only tipsy!" and narrowed her eyes at him, trying to appear tough. This gave Rose enough time to pull herself together, shaking off the daze she was in.

"You used to be a Time Agent, now you're some kind of free lancer," Rose said, shaking her head to clear it.

"Well, that's a little harsh," Jack said, pulling Rose closer. "I like to think of myself as a criminal."

"I bet you do!" Rose said, laughing.

"So, this companion of yours—does he handle the business?" Jack asked.

"Well, I delegate a lot of that, yeah," Rose said, at the same time Willow said, "Pretty much."

"Well, maybe we should go find him," Jack suggested.

"And how're you gonna do that?" Rose asked, curious. Willow just glared at him, not trusting him at all. Something in her gut was telling her to not trust him and she liked to listen to her gut; it was usually right.

"Easy," Jack said. "I'll do a scan for alien tech."

He turned his wrist device on to scan.

"Finally, a _professional_," Rose said to Willow, delighted. Willow just shook her head with a small smile on her face. Jack went back down the stairs from the roof to the main part of his spaceship, with Rose and Willow following him. He let down a ladder from the ship, which dropped to the street below. Once they were in the street, Jack pulled out his device and the spaceship was once again, invisible to the eye.

"Now this is Spock," Rose said to Willow as they followed after Jack to an old hospital. Willow just rolled her eyes at her cousin and pushed forward, entering the hospital, keeping her eyes peeled for the Doctor. Jack and Rose immediately started calling out, "Hello?"

"Hello? Doctor? Are you here?" Willow yelled out, her eyes moving from rooms to corridors, looking for her big-eared, leather jacket-wearing Doctor.

"Hello?" Jack called out.

"Hello?" Rose repeated.

"Hello?" Jack said again.

At the other end of the corridor, the Doctor emerged from a room. Rose watched with a smirk as Willow's eyes lit up at the sight of him.

"Good evening," Jack said, holding out his hand to shake the Doctor's. "Hope I'm not interrupting—Jack Harkness. I've been hearing all about you on the way over."

Willow went bright red. Jack had asked questions about the Doctor and Willow had answered them as truthfully as she could. Mostly, they were her opinions on how wonderful the Doctor was to her.

"He knows," Rose said to the Doctor, being overly dramatic. "I had to tell him about us being Time Agents."

The Doctor didn't say anything; he only nodded. Willow beamed at him as he took her hand, him secretly wanting her away from this strange, new, handsome man.

"And it's a real pleasure to meet you, Mr. Spock," Jack said.

That was the name that Rose had come up with for the Doctor, not wanting to give away that they weren't really Time Agents. Willow's face was turning red from keeping in her quiet giggles. Jack patted the Doctor, or 'Mr. Spock,' on the back and walked off, leaving the Doctor looking at the girls with amusement in his eyes.

"Mr. Spock?" he asked.

"What were we supposed to say, you don't have a name! Don't you ever get tired of 'Doctor'? Doctor who?" Rose said. "Besides, it was Willow's idea."

"Was not," Willow growled at her cousin, who smirked at her.

"Nine centuries in, I'm coping. Where've you two been? We're in the middle of a London Blitz, it's not a good time for a stroll," the Doctor said, in a teasing but scolding tone.

"Strolling?" Willow scoffed at him.

"Who's strolling? We went by barrage balloon. Only way to see an air raid," Rose said.

"What?" the Doctor exclaimed in shock, as he jerked forward to follow after Rose, who started walking down the hallway after Jack.

"Listen, what's a Chula warship?" Rose asked, ignoring his outburst.

"Chula?" the Doctor said, stopping, making Willow jerk to a stop as well (she was still attached to his hand). The Doctor started walking again; going back to the room he had just exited. Jack was in the room already, scanning the bodies that lined the room with his wrist device. All the bodies were in cots lining the entire room and on each face, was a gas mask. It seemed as if they were dead, they were so motionless. Willow just looked at the bodies in horror, half hiding behind the Doctor's back. _What had happened to these poor people to make them this way?_ she thought tearfully.

"This just isn't possible. How could this happen?" Jack asked, horror in his tone.

"What kind of Chula ship landed here?" the Doctor asked, his face hard.

"What?" Jack asked, taken back by the question.

"He said it was a warship. He stole it. Parked it somewhere out there, somewhere a bomb's gonna fall on it—unless _we_ make him an offer," Rose said, a little smug.

"So you _were_ paying attention," Willow said to her blonde cousin, her voice flat, not teasing at all.

"Just enough," Rose said with a grin, but then sobered at the bodies.

"What kind of warship?" the Doctor asked again.

"Does it matter?" Jack asked, sounding agitated. "It's got nothing to do with this!"

"This started at the bomb site. It's got _everything_ to do with it," the Doctor said angrily. "What kind of warship?"

"An ambulance!" Jack shouted, finally admitting the truth. He turned on his wrist device and showed the trio a hologram of the junk they had followed to get there. "Look."

_Just like _Star Wars, Willow thought, as she had always loved the movie growing up.

"That's what you chased through the Time Vortex," Jack said. "It's space junk. I wanted to kid you it was valuable. It's empty. I made sure of it. Nothing but a shell. I threw it at you. Saw your time travel vehicle—love the retro look, by the way, nice panels—threw you the bait-"

"Bait?" Rose said.

"I wanted to sell it to you and then destroy it before you found out it was junk," Jack admitted.

"You said it was a _war_ ship," Rose said, a bit irritated.

"They have ambulances in wars," Jack said, walking away from the trio, annoyed. "It was a con. I was conning you—that's what I am, I'm a con man. I thought you were Time Agents but you're not, are you?"

"Just a few more free-lancers," Rose said.

"Ahh...should've known. The way you three blending in with the local colour—I mean, the Flag Girl and Flower Child were bad enough, but U-Boat Captain?" Jack said.

"Hey, my shirt is awesome!" Willow said, toying with the end of her blouse, making the Doctor raise his eyebrows.

"Whatever. Anyway...whatever's happening here has got _nothing_ to do with that ship," Jack said.

"What _is_ happening here, Doctor?" Rose asked, looking at the bodies. Willow slowly walked over to one of the bodies and examined the woman. She had on a gas mask and a long scratch on the back on the back of her hand. Willow reached out to lightly touch the scratch before jumping and jerking her hand away as the Doctor said, "Human DNA's being rewritten...by an idiot."

"What d'you mean?" Rose asked in confusion.

"_Who_ d'you mean?" Willow asked through gritted teeth, glaring at Jack, having a pretty good idea that this was all his fault.

"I dunno—some kind of virus. It's converting human beings into these things," the Doctor said, nodding at the bodies. "But why? What's the point?"

"They're all the same," Willow noticed as she walked to the next bed and examined the body in it.

"I noticed that, too," the Doctor said, glancing between Willow and the body he was looking at. Rose was over examining a body, like Willow, when the body suddenly sat up. All around the room, all the bodies did the same. Willow jumped backwards in fright as all of the bodies (including the one she was standing by) started to say, "Mummy?" repeatedly and at the same time. Willow slowly stepped backwards, going back to where the Doctor and Rose were.

"What's happening?" Rose asked.

"I don't know," the Doctor said as all the people started to get out of bed.

"I thought they were dead!" Willow breathed out fearfully. The people started to walk towards the Doctor, Willow, Rose, and Jack.

"Don't let them touch you," the Doctor warned the three of them.

"What happens if they touch us?" Rose asked, scared.

"You're looking at it," the Doctor said.

Willow breathed a sigh of relief then. She had very nearly touched the woman's hand that she had been examining. She could only imagine what would've happened had she actually touched it. Willow then gasped felt something grab her arm. She whirled her head to her right to find that it was a man that was wearing a gas mask.

"Doctor!" she whispered fearfully, tears gathering in her eyes.

"Willow, no!" Rose yelled out, hearing her cousin's whisper. The Doctor looked as if he didn't know what to do. He also looked terrified, staring wide-eyed at Willow.

Willow started backing away from her friends (minus Jack, as she still felt like she couldn't trust him) to try and save them from herself and felt as if something was shoving its way up her throat.

"Keep away from me. You need to run, Doc—Mmmmmmmummy?" Willow said, breaking off and stuttering out the word.

"No! Willow," Rose said, tearfully.

"Stay back," the Doctor said. "Don't touch her. I'll save you, I promise!" That last part was said at Willow, whose face was now engulfed in a gas mask and had a deep cut on the back of her hand, as well as the other injuries. The distance she had put between herself and the others was starting to become non-existant as she started stumbling forward towards them.

"Mummy?" she said. "Are you my mummy?"

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	10. The Doctor Dances

**The Doctor Dances...**

**A/N: So, to answer Joy41218's question, sorry for the confusion! Clara is now Willow! I'm doing a lot of changes to my story, and that's one of them so she doesn't get confused with Clara Oswald. I thought I had made that clear before, but going back, I saw that I hadn't! Well, I did in my original, but then I lost my flash drive that had my original on it. So, again, sorry for the confusion. Any other concerns or questions, review or pm me!**

Though the Doctor was upset at losing his companion (his favorite, though he wouldn't admit it, especially to Rose), he knew he had to get himself, Rose, and Jack out of there alive. He suddenly had an idea (when didn't he? he thought to himself a bit smug-like) and took a small step forward.

He had a very stern look and tone when he said, "Go to your room," causing all the gas mask people, including Willow, to hesitate a step.

"Go to your room!" the Doctor repeated with more force, acting like a stern parent. All the people cocked their heads to the side and Rose and Jack shared a look before the blonde stared sadly at her cousin.

"I mean it! I am very, very angry with you. I am very, _very_ cross! Go—to—your—ROOM!" the Doctor yelled. He jerked his arm out and pointed in no particular direction. Slowly, all the gas mask people hung their heads in shame and turned away, shuffling back to their cots.

Rose watched Willow the entire time, shuffling her way to an empty cot with the rest of the gas mask people and she felt sadness going through her. How was she ever going to explain this to her mum? That Willow had died in 1941 and that she wouldn't be coming home again? All the people slowly climbed back into their beds and all three of them sighed with relief.

"I'm really glad that worked. Those would've been _terrible_ last words," the Doctor attempted at a joke, but failed at the look on his blonde companion's face. "Don't worry, Rose," he assured her. "I'll do everything possible to get Willow back, safe and sound. I promise you that."

Rose only nodded, knowing her would try, but she also knew that he was trying to convince himself more than her. As there was no further movement from the gas mask people after they had climbed into their beds, Rose took up a spot next to Willow's bed, watching over her cousin, knowing she couldn't touch her.

"Why are they all wearing gas masks?" Rose asked, in a sad, but curious voice, missing her cousin's sweet face. It was missing; all she could see was her massive red hair, spread out on the cot under her head.

"They're not," Jack answered. "Those masks are flesh and bone."

Rose shuddered as she looked over her cousin, wishing she could touch her in comfort or stroke her hair gently, like Willow would've done for her.

"How was your con supposed to work?" the Doctor asked with anger in his voice.

"Simple enough, really. Find some harmless piece of space-junk...let the nearest Time Agent track it back to Earth. Convince him it's valuable, name a price. When he's put 50 percent up front—oops! A German bomb falls on it, destroys it forever. He never knows he's been had. I buy him a drink with his own money, and we discuss dumb luck. The perfect self-cleaning con," Jack explained.

"Yeah. Perfect," the Doctor said sarcastically, gazing down at Willow.

"The London Blitz is great for self-cleaners—Pompeii's nice if you want to make a vacation of it though, but you've got to set your alarm for volcano day," Jack said, laughing lightly at his own joke, trying to ease the tension, but it wasn't working.

The Doctor turned his dark glare on Jack, whose laughter died away immediately.

"Getting a hint of disapproval," Jack said, feeling uneasy by the glare. It unsettled him greatly, the glare of the Oncoming Storm.

"Take a look around the room and at Willow. This is what your 'harmless piece of space-junk' did," the Doctor said harshly to the ex-Time Agent.

"It was a burnt-out medical transporter—it was empty," Jack insisted.

The Doctor glared at him once more, shot Willow a look of apology (thought she couldn't see it), and started to storm off through the hospital.

"Rose," he called out to the blonde.

"We getting out of here?" Rose asked, following after him after leaving Willow's side.

"We're going upstairs," the Doctor said, trying to keep his tone lighter with Rose, knowing that this wasn't her fault.

"What about Willow?" Rose burst out, a bit angry that he was leaving her cousin behind. The Doctor paused in his stride for a second.

"We'll be back for her and save her just like I promised," the Doctor answered the blonde, starting off again, with Rose right behind him. Jack jumped to it and also followed after the two time travelers.

"I even programmed the flight computer so it wouldn't land on anything living—I harmed no one! Certainly not Willow! I don't know what's happening here, but believe me—I had nothing to do with it," Jack still insisted, pleading his case, hoping the Doctor would hear him out.

"I'll tell you what's happening. You forgot to set your alarm clock. It's volcano day," the Doctor said harshly to the American, glaring at him. Rose jumped as a siren started to go off in the distance.

"What's that?" Rose asked in a shaky voice, whipping her head around, looking for trouble.

"The all clear," Jack answered, relief evident in his voice.

"I wish," the Doctor said.

After finding the room that had been the child's bedroom (and being found by the child himself) the three of them rushed down a short flight of stairs and down another corridor. Suddenly, they stopped as all the patients started bursting out of the ward ahead, repeating, "Mummy" over and over again.

Rose immediately spotted Willow's fiery red hair in the crowd of patients, the red-head sticking out like a sore thumb. The trio backtracked, but found more gas mask people coming from behind them, too. They found themselves back at the point where the child was still breaking through the wall.

"It's keeping us here so it can get at us," the Doctor said, taking Rose's hand after noticing how scared the blonde was. He had also seen Willow in the crowd and squeezed Rose's hand in comfort.

"It's controlling them?" Jack asked, pointing his blaster in each direction as the gas-maskers got closer from each side.

"It _is_ them. It's every living thing in this hospital. Even Willow," the Doctor noted, a deep sadness in his eyes.

"Okay," Jack said slowly, thinking of a way out. "This can function as a sonic blaster, a sonic cannon, and a triple-enfolded sonic disruptor. Doc, what you got?"

The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver, knowing her couldn't use it, but Jack didn't even see it; he was too busy brandishing his sonic blaster at the patients, ready to use it at a moments notice.

"A sonic, er...oh, never mind," the Doctor said, waving his sonic around uselessly.

"What?" Jack asked impatiently, his eyes shifting, taking in every danger around them. The Doctor turned to face the other side of the gas mask people, using his sonic for no reason whatsoever. It was a tool for science, not a weapon, he reminded himself.

"It's sonic, okay?" the Doctor said, clearing his throat nervously. "Let's leave it at that."

"Disruptor? Cannon? What?" Jack asked, still whipping his blaster left and right, while Rose was just standing between them, thinking. She knew that if Willow had been there, she would have muttered some joke to her about the testosterone in the room.

"It's sonic! Totally sonic! I am sonic-ed up!" the Doctor yelled out, still brandishing a useless screwdriver.

"A sonic WHAT?" Jack asked.

"SCREWDRIVER!" the Doctor yelled back. Jack spun around to face the Doctor, a look between shock and a smirk on his face, knowing that the screwdriver was useless. At that second, the child finally burst through the wall and began to climb through. Rose suddenly had a brilliant idea and quickly grabbed Jack's wrist, aiming his sonic blaster at the floor.

"Going down!" Rose cried, blasting a hole in the floor right where their feet had been. The three of them dropped like rocks into the ward below. Jack quickly jumped up and activated the digital rewind to replace the hole that Rose had made, but not before Rose spotted Willow's head, peering down the hole at the three of them.

"Doctor, are you okay?" Rose asked, standing up and brushing herself off.

"Could've used a warning...!" was all the Doctor said, still in a bit of shock at what had just happened, as well at also seeing Willow's head.

"Ugh, the gratitude," Rose said sarcastically before turning sober. The Doctor finally got up brushing himself off, thinking of what to do next.

"Who has a sonic screwdriver?" Jack asked, part sarcastic, and part genuinely curious.

"I do!" the Doctor answered him defensively; he loved his sonic.

"Light," Rose muttered to herself, looking around for a way to turn them on.

"Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks 'ooohooo, this could be a little more sonic'?" Jack said, this time in full sarcasm.

"What, you've never been bored?" the Doctor said indignantly.

"There's gotta be a light switch!" Rose said, this time louder, poking around for one.

"Never had a long night? Never had a lot of cabinets to put up?" the Doctor asked, still defensive over his precious sonic.

Rose cried out in success as she finally found a switch and turned it on. Her cry of triumph turned into one of fright as suddenly, all the gas mask people in the ward they happened to be in sat up as one and started calling, "mummy."

"Door," was all Jack said, panic in his voice to escape again.

The trio all rushed to the door of the ward as the patients started getting out of their beds. The door was locked, so Jack tried to use his sonic blaster on it, but it didn't work.

"Damn it!" Jack yelled. He stepped back and allowed the Doctor to use his sonic screwdriver (which was finally useful). Jack started hitting the sonic blaster in anger, cursing it under his breath. "It's the special features, they really drain the battery," he explained to Rose, who looked a tad curious at his blaster.

"The battery?" Rose scoffed, knowing the Doctor's sonic didn't run on a battery and worked whenever he needed it to. The Doctor got the door opened in what seemed like record time and the three of them rushed through it, eager to get away from the gas mask zombies.

"That's so _lame_," Rose cackled at Jack, who frowned at his blaster being made fun of. The Doctor quickly slammed the door behind them and locked it back up with his sonic screwdriver.

"I was gonna send for another one, but _somebody's_ gonna blow up the factory," Jack said, glaring at the Doctor while running to the window to peer out.

"Oh, I know—first day Willow and I met him, he blew my job up and nearly took Willow along with it. That's practically how he communicates," Rose said, teasing the Doctor to try and keep from worrying about Willow; she knew that it would do her no good to worry about her cousin right now.

"Okay, that door should hold it for a bit," the Doctor said, examining the pure metal door.

"The door?" Jack exclaimed in disbelief. "The _wall_ didn't stop it!"

"Well, it's gonna _find_ us first!" the Doctor said, glaring at the Captain. "Come on, we're not done yet! Assets, assets!"

"Well, I've got a banana, and at a pinch you could put up some shelves," Jack scoffed at the Doctor. Rose just shook her head at the two men. The world was in danger and Willow was practically a zombie and the two were nearly going into 'mine's bigger than yours'.

"Window-" the Doctor started to say, walking to said window to look out it.

"Barred, sheer drop outside. Seven stories," Jack said, having already examined it for a way out.

"And no other exits," Rose input, though not very helpfully.

"Well, the assets conversation went in a flash, didn't it?" Jack sneered, settling himself in a wheelchair.

The Doctor eyed him for a second, then turned to Rose, asking with a scoff, "So, where'd you pick up this one, then?"

"Doctor..." Rose said in a warning tone, her eyes flashing. She knew that she had made a mistake with Adam, but she had felt that Jack was different, though no less handsome.

"Her and Willow were handing from a barrage balloon, I had an invisible spaceship. I never stood a _chance_," Jack said, trying to make the older man jealous, which was working at the mention of Willow, while Rose looked a bit uncomfortable.

"Okay, one, we want to get out of here," the Doctor said, pointing out the obvious. "Two, we _can't_ get out of here. Have I missed anything?"

Rose gave a glance in Jack's direction, her eyes going wide in shock, and said, "Yeah...Jack just disappeared."

The Doctor spun around to see an empty wheelchair, the American Captain indeed gone.

"Great. Just great," the Doctor snapped out. "One other problem to deal with. Wait, problem gone!"

He smirked triumphantly at Rose, who just scowled at him. He plopped himself down in a vacant chair, thinking of a way to get out, plus save everyone that had been infected with the mystery plague. After a minute of silence, Rose approached the Doctor and put her hand on the back of his chair, trying to comfort him in any way she could.

"Okay, so he's vanished into thin air. Why is it always the _great_ looking ones who do that?" Rose asked, half trying to make a joke and half serious.

The Doctor gave her an offended look and said, "I'm making an effort not to be insulted."

"I mean...men," Rose said, waving her hand dismissively at the Doctor's comment.

"Okay. Thanks. That _really_ helped," the Doctor said sarcastically, smiling slightly, as she had lifted the tension slightly. An old radio in the room suddenly sprang to life with Jack's voice coming through it, starling Rose.

"Rose? Doctor? Can you hear me?" he asked, his voice a bit crackly. Rose and the Doctor both hurried over to the radio, which Doctor picked up.

"I'm back on my ship," Jack explained to them. "Used the emergency teleport. Sorry I couldn't take you."

The Doctor looked a little bit confused as he held the wires that seemed to have been ripped out of the radio, which would have made it impossible for it to work.

"It's security-keyed to my molecular structure. I'm working on it—hang in there," Jack said, his voice slightly muffled as he worked.

"How're you speaking to us?" the Doctor asked, still wondering.

"Om-Com. I can call anything with a speaker grille," Jack said.

"Now there's a coincidence," the Doctor said, his eyes a little wide.

"What is?" Jack asked.

"The child can Om-Com, too," the Doctor admitted to them.

"It can?" Rose asked, shocked.

The Doctor nodded and said, "Anything with a speaker grille. Even the Tardis phone."

"What, you mean the child can phone us?" Rose asked, suddenly scared.

"And I can hear you. Coming to find you. Coming to fiiiiiiiiind you," the child said through the radio, causing Rose to bite her lip in worry. She knew that if Willow had been with them, she would have been rubbing the scar on her chin unconsciously, just like she always did when she was nervous.

"Doctor, can you hear that?" Jack asked, shocked.

"Loud and clear," the Doctor said.

"I'll try to block out the signal. Least I can do," Jack said.

"Coming to find you, mummy!" the child said eerily.

"Remember this one, Rose?" Jack asked flirtatiously, flipping a switch on his ship. Glenn Miller's 'Moonlight Serenade' started playing through the radio, blocking out the child's voice. "I seem to remember Willow liked it, too," he added in a more serious and sad tone.

Rose looked slightly uncomfortable as the Doctor looked at her questioningly. Not about her and Jack, but about Willow liking the song. Rose misunderstood his expression though, thinking that he was curious about what he was talking about, but the Doctor was jealous.

"Our song," she said, a bit embarrassed.

The Doctor just nodded, though still jealous.

"Don't worry, though. Willow didn't dance with him very long. She was just trying to get him to think that we were Time Agents," Rose added and the Doctor looked a little more relieved, though not much.

Rose settled herself down in a rolling wheel chair and tried to entertain herself by wheeling herself around the room. The radio was still playing 'Moonlight Serenade' and there was a buzzing from the Doctor's sonic screwdriver in the background. In boredom, Rose spun the chair around to face the Doctor.

"What you doing?" she asked, curious.

The Doctor was holding his sonic screwdriver up against the wall near the window, and answered, "Trying to set up a resonation pattern in the concrete. Loosen the bars."

"You don't think he's coming back, do ya?" Rose asked, already knowing the answer to her question.

"Wouldn't bet my life," the Doctor said, scoffing.

"Why don't you trust him?" Rose asked, genuinely curious.

"Why do you?" the Doctor asked.

"Saved mine and Willow's lives. Bloke-wise, that's up there with flossing," Rose answered, smirking. "And he's not half bad looking, either."

The Doctor didn't answer and Rose just looked at him for a moment, thinking.

"I trust him 'cos he's like you. Except with dating and dancing," Rose said, a bit embarrassed; even though she meant dancing as a innuendo, she knew that the Doctor would take it as literally dancing. The Doctor just looked at her, his face blank.

"What?" Rose asked.

"You just assume I'm..." the Doctor said, and then trailed off.

"What?" Rose said, wanting him to continue.

"You just assume that I don't...dance," the Doctor said finally.

"What, are you telling me you _do_...dance?" Rose asked, grinning. She smirked to herself. He had no idea what she was really talking about, but that was fine with her. Though, Willow might thank her one day…Rose smirked to herself at _that_ thought

"Nine hundred years old, me. I've been around a bit. I think you can assume that as some point I've _danced_," the Doctor said, shocking Rose. So he _did_ get what she was saying.

"You?" Rose asked, grinning once more, getting over her shock.

"Problem?" was all the Doctor said.

"Doesn't the universe implode or something if you...dance?" Rose teased him. He was her best friend, of course she was going to tease him.

"Well, I've got the moves but I wouldn't want to boast," the Doctor said, the tips of his ears turning red.

Rose, who was still grinning, got up from her chair and went to turn the music up, going to tease him a step further. The Doctor looked around, surprised, his whole face turning red now. Rose walked forward, determined. She was going to help this man dance so he would know how for when Willow got back (though the literal dancing, this time, she thought shuddering at the disturbing thought of _dancing_ with her best friend). He looked back at the wall, trying to ignore the fact that Rose was there. Rose held out her hand for him to take, pushing the mental image very far away, trying not to gag at that thought.

"You've got the moves?" she teased, raising an eyebrow at him when the Doctor looked at her. "Show me your moves so Willow will be able to see them."

"Rose, I'm trying to resonate concrete," the Doctor said, trying to get out of it, flushing at what she was insinuating. Rose still stubbornly stood there with her hand outstretched.

"Jack'll be back, he'll get us out. So come on—the world doesn't end 'cos the Doctor dances," she said firmly, wanting to teach her best friend how to dance; she was very determined now.

The Doctor finally shut off his sonic screwdriver (he knew that resonating the concrete had been pointless anyways, as it would take a very long time to do it) and put it back in his pocket. He stood away from the wall and went towards Rose. He stood in front of Rose for a second and finally took her hands. He turned her hands over and looked at them, thinking.

"For Willow?" was all he said to Rose, thought he was thinking of something differently entirely.

"For Willow," Rose said firmly, nodding.

"Barrage balloon?" he asked, still looking closely at her hands.

"...What?" Rose asked, thrown by his question.

"You and Willow were hanging from a barrage balloon," the Doctor said, turning her hands over, examining them.

"Oh, yeah. About two minutes after you left us. Thousands of feet above London—middle of a German air-raid—Union Jack _all_ over my chest," Rose said, shaking her head at her stupidity.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows at her and said, "I've traveled with a lot of people, but you're both setting new records for jeopardy-friendly."

"Is this you dancing? 'Cos I've got notes for Willow," Rose said, raising an eyebrow at him as the Doctor went back to examining her hands.

"Hanging from a rope a thousand feet above London. Not a cut, not a bruise," the Doctor said, showing Rose her own hands.

"Yeah, I know. Captain Jack fixed me and Willow up..." Rose said a bit dreamily, remembering how close Jack had been to her while tying her hands together.

"Oh, we're calling him 'Captain Jack' now, are we?" the Doctor asked, smirking; it was his turn to tease her now.

"Well, his name's Jack and he's a captain..." Rose said, blushing.

"He's not really a captain, Rose," the Doctor said, smirking even more at succeeding.

"D'you know what I think? I think you're experiencing Captain envy," Rose said. "Just 'cos he danced with Willow on an invisible spaceship tethered to Big Ben."

The Doctor just gave a slight nod, not really hearing what she had said as he took her hand and the pair of them started to dance….well, sort of.

"You'll find your feet at the end of your legs," Rose said scolded him. "You may care to move them."

"If ever he was a captain, he's been defrocked," the Doctor fired back at her quickly.

"Yeah? Shame I missed that," Rose said, smirking, not letting his jab get to her.

"Actually, I quit. Nobody takes my frock," Jack said, his voice sounding normal.

The Doctor and Rose looked up in surprise. Somehow, they were now standing in Jack's spaceship. They had been so wrapped up in teasing each other that they hadn't even noticed that they had even moved.

"Most people notice when they've been teleported," Jack said. "You guys are so sweet, teasing each other like that. Sorry about the delay. I had to take the nav-com offline to override the teleport security."

"You can spend ten minutes overriding your own protocols?" the Doctor scoffed at the American. "Maybe you should remember whose ship it is."

"Oh, I do," Jack said, smirking at the alien. "She was _gorgeous_. Like I told her—be back in five minutes."

He ducked underneath the console, tinkering on something.

"This is a Chula ship," the Doctor realized, looking around his surroundings in surprise.

"Yeah, just like that medical transporter. Only, this one _is_ dangerous," Jack called out, his voice slightly muffled from whatever he was doing. The Doctor snapped his fingers, summoning, and his hands were surrounded by the bright nanogenes.

"They're what fixed mine and Willow's hands up!" Rose said, her eyes wide in wonder at seeing them again. "Jack called 'em, um..."

"Nanobots?" the Doctor provided. "Nanogenes."

"Nanogenes, yeah," Rose said, nodding her head in excitement.

"Sub-atomic robots," the Doctor said sadly, forming together a theory for what was happening outside. "There's millions of them in here, see? Burned my hand on the console when we landed—all better now. They activate when the bulk head's sealed. Check you out for damage, fix any physical flaws."

The Doctor sent the nanogenes away with a wave of his hand, determined to fix what was happening

"Take us to the crash site," the Doctor demanded to Jack. "I need to see your space junk."

"As soon as I get the nav-com back online," Jack said, as though the Doctor was nagging at him. The Doctor looked a little bit annoyed. "Make yourself comfortable. Carry on with whatever it was you were...doing."

"We were talking about dancing," the Doctor said, trying to sound innocent, not wanting to be teased further about Willow and _dancing_.

"It didn't look like talking," Jack said, raising an eyebrow at the alien.

"Didn't feel like dancing," Rose said, once again teasing the Doctor, whose ears turned red. "I was trying to teach him so that he could dance with Willow, once she's better."

After having to wait for nearly an hour, the Doctor, Rose, and Jack all walked towards a railroad station that was near the bomb site. They all three peered over the barbed wire that surrounded the crash site.

"There it is," Jack said, using his binoculars. "Ay, they've got Algy on duty. Must be important."

"We've gotta get past," the Doctor said, peering into the darkness.

"The words 'distract the guard' head in my general direction," Rose said, smirking at the two men.

"I don't think that'd be such a good idea," Jack said, shaking his head at the blonde.

"Don't worry...I can handle it," Rose said, determined to prove herself to the Captain.

"I've got to know Algy quite well since I've been in town," Jack said. "Trust me. You're not his type. I'll distract him." He stood up and threw out, "Don't wait up," over his shoulder.

The Doctor and Rose looked at each other, the Doctor amused and Rose just bewildered at the con man.

"Relax, he's a 51st century guy. He's just a bit more flexible when it comes to dancing," the Doctor said, smirking, back to teasing the blonde again.

"_How_ flexible?" Rose asked, her jaw dropping and her eyes widening.

"Well, by his time, you lot have spread out across half the galaxy," the Doctor said, still smirking at her.

"Meaning?" Rose asked.

"So many species, so little time..." the Doctor said, grinning.

"What, that's what we do when we get out there? That's our mission? We seek new life, and...and..." Rose said.

"Dance," was all the Doctor said, sniggering.

The Doctor and Rose watched as Jack talked to the man that was on guard. All of a sudden, Jack jerked away as the man's face transformed into a gas mask, alerting soldiers over to the commotion.

"Stay back!" the Doctor yelled, leaping up out of his hiding spot. He rushed forward, Rose right on his tail.

"You men! Stay away!" Jack ordered the soldiers, holding out his hand to halt them in their place. Algy was lying on the ground, lifeless and Rose was staring at him in shock and horror, knowing that her cousin was in a similar state in the hospital.

"The effect's become airborne," the Doctor said, startled. "Accelerating."

"What's keeping _us_ safe?" Rose asked in horror, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Nothing," the Doctor bit out, not wanting to lose Rose as well; he'd probably lose his mind and go to a very dark place if that happened. Suddenly, the air raid siren sounded, startling everyone in the area.

"Ah, here they come again," Jack said shakily, looking up at the sky.

"All we need," Rose said, then she realized something. "Didn't you say a bomb was gonna land..._Here_?"

Jack nodded, realizing the same thing, his mind reeling.

"Never mind about that," the Doctor said. "If the contaminant's airborne now, there's hours left."

"For what?" Jack asked, confused as to what the Doctor was referring to.

"'Til nothing. 'Til forever. For the entire human race," the Doctor said ominously.

Thirty minutes and some of the Doctor's moves later, Willow finally came to. She was standing, frozen, by Dr. Constantine, as Rose rushed over to her. She didn't even cry out in pain as Rose ripped her gas mask off, taking some of her hair with it. She just started, wide-eyed, as Rose embraced her tightly.

"Willie!" Rose exclaimed, pulling back from her unresponsive cousin, fearful that something was wrong, that Willow didn't survive it.

Willow slowly blinked once, twice, three times, before seeming to come to her senses.

"Rosie?" she whispered in return, not quite believing that Rose was in front of her. The two embraced each other tightly. The Doctor hushed back over to Rose after he had finished talking to Dr. Constantine.

"Where am I?" Willow breathed, looking around. The last thing she remembered was being in the hospital and…Willow quickly felt her face and then breathed a sigh of relief. She remembered becoming one of the gas mask zombies, but nothing after that until this moment.

"Don't I get a hello?" the Doctor breathed in Willow's ear, making her shudder, which Rose smirked at.

"Doctor!" Willow breathed out, turning and hugging him tightly. After a few moments, she pulled back and kissed him full on the lips. Well, more like a peck on the lips, really. She pulled back, extremely red and wondering where the courage to do that had come from. Rose, watching their reunion, looked extremely happy.

"Er, sorry," Willow said, her face redder than her hair. The Doctor, who looked like he was over the shock of the kiss, grinned widely and called out to Dr. Constantine, "Right, you lot! Lots to do! Beat the Germans, save the world—don't forget the Welfare State!"

Dr. Constantine and his patients started to walk away from the train station while the Doctor went over to the controls of the med-ship, Rose and a still very red Willow behind him.

"Setting this to self-destruct, soon as everybody's clear," the Doctor said to Rose and Willow happily (at both saving everyone and Willow kissing him). "History says there was an explosion here. Who am I to argue with history?"

"Usually the first in line," Rose said. The Doctor looked at her and Willow and grinned (well, more so at Willow than Rose) and Willow beamed back at him, even if she was still red and embarrassed.

Willow, Rose, and the Doctor ducked behind some rubbish a ways off, safe from the blast, and watched as the med-ship exploded. The Doctor instinctively protected Rose and Willow as the explosion seemed to reach out to touch the sky, debris blowing out everywhere.

"Fantastic," the Doctor said, getting up to let the cousins see, taking Willow's hand in his.

"Yes, it is," Willow said breathlessly, squeezing his hand.

Willow followed Rose and the Doctor to the Tardis, beaming away happily, but she couldn't help feel like there was something, or someone, that she was forgetting.

"The nanogenes will clean up the mess and switch themselves off—because I just told them to. Nancy and Jamie will go to Doctor Constantine for help—ditto—all in all, all things considered—fantastic!" the Doctor explained joyfully, rambling on and Willow beamed at him.

"Look at the two of you, beaming away, like you're Father Christmas!" Rose said, grinning away.

"Who says I'm not, red-bicycle-when-you-were-twelve and doll-house-when-you-were-ten?" the Doctor said, smirking at the shock that appeared on his companions' faces.

"What?" Rose and Willow exclaimed at the same time, both wearing similar looks of shock.

"And everybody lives, Rose! Everybody lives! Including Willow!" the Doctor said, spreading his arms and embraced Willow. "I need more days like this."

"Doctor..." Rose said, after the Doctor released Willow and hit a switch on the console.

"Go on, ask me anything. I'm on _fire_!" the Doctor said, grinning like a maniac.

"What about Jack?" Rose asked immediately.

The Doctor's smile faded and he carried on working around his console, ignoring her question. It was because of Jack Bloody Harkness that Willow had been in danger in the first place and the Doctor just wanted to wash his hands of the ex-Time Agent.

"Doctor?" Willow asked softly, touching his arm. Of course, it was Jack that she had forgotten about. She had noticed that he wasn't around and wondered where he had gotten off to.

"Why'd he say goodbye?" Rose asked and Willow's eyes widened.

The Doctor still didn't answer and Rose was starting to get irritated.

"Doctor!" Rose snapped sharply. Finally, the whole story came out of the Doctor. That Jack wasn't coming back. Willow couldn't help but feel like it was her fault even though she knew it wasn't; it must be survivor's guilt, she decided. She still felt sorry for the man, though. He shouldn't have to die on a day where everyone lived.

"Well, aren't you gonna save him?" Rose sassed, her hands on her hips, glaring at the Doctor.

"Rose..." the Doctor said, trailing off.

"Doctor..." Willow said in a warning tone. Rose was looking down at the ground in disappointment and Willow saw the sadness written on her cousin's face. The red-head gave the Doctor a glare and said, "Doctor, he can't be the only person to die on a day that everyone lives. That's just not fair and you really shouldn't be the one to decide who lives and dies. That's just wrong. If you're gonna be like that, you may as well take me home, 'cos I won't go with someone who is gonna let someone die just 'cos he doesn't like the man."

The Doctor's eyes widened in horror at the thought of her leaving and then he sighed in defeat and walked over to the console. He flipped a switch and started turning a little wheel. The Doctor then grinned and pressed a button on the console. 'Moonlight Serenade' started playing in the whole room. Willow gave the Doctor a questioningly glance while Rose gave a smug smirk. The Doctor strode over to Willow and held out his hand.

"May I have this dance?" he asked; after all, he had to apologize to her somehow. Willow blushed and hesitantly gave the Doctor her hand. He pulled her close and whirled her around in a circle, causing her to squeal out in surprise and the suddenness of his actions.

"What're you doing?" Willow asked breathlessly. She was breathless at the action and at being in close proximity to the Doctor. She could smell his leather jacket, which she couldn't really describe how it smelled. She flushed deeply as she caught herself smelling the man.

"Dancing," the Doctor said, smirking, knowing what she was doing.

"Are you sure?" she asked, as she winced when he stepped on her foot.

"Yep!" the Doctor said, not at all convincing. Rose walked open to the Tardis door and called out, "Well, hurry up then!" Willow gave the Doctor a confused look, her eyebrows furrowed and he just smiled at her.

"Jack," he mouthed at her.

"Oh," she said softly. She then smiled, knowing he was doing it to prove to her and Rose that he was a good man. That and she knew that he knew that Rose liked the American. The Doctor smiled and stated waltzing her around the control room. Or rather, Willow was attempting to teach the Doctor how to dance and move about. Rose was leaning up against the console, smiling at Jack as he jumped into the Tardis. She nodded her head to the couple, looking at them in amusement, but Jack wasn't really paying attention to her.

"Right, and turn..." Willow was telling the Doctor and winced as her foot got stepped on again. "Okay, no, not that way. Try again."

The Doctor tried to spin Willow around again, but got the two of their arms tangled together.

"Yeah, okay, that wasn't quite right. This time, spin me again, but don't get my arms trapped behind my back," Willow said, flushing at being so close to the Doctor but smiled fondly at him. The Doctor looked at her, grinning sheepishly.

"No extra points for a half-nelson," Rose called out to the Doctor.

"I'm _sure_ I used to know this stuff," the Doctor said, looking rather put out. "Close the door, will you. Your ship's about to blow up—there's gonna be a draft."

The Doctor let go of Willow for a moment and dematerialized the blue box from the small Chula spaceship. Willow smiled at Jack as way of forgiveness and leaned up against one of the pillars.

"Hello, Jack," she said, smiling gently at him, knowing the man had guilt in him at what he had done.

"Welcome to the Tardis," the Doctor said to Jack, his tone short.

"Much bigger on the inside..." Jack said. "By the way, nice to see you without the—you know—mask." He made a gesture to his face as he talked to Willow.

"You'd better be," the Doctor said harshly.

"I think what the Doctor's _trying_ to say is...you may cut in," Rose said.

"You were never dancing with him," Willow said, teasing her cousin.

"They were in the hospital," Jack said, grinning and taking Rose's hand, successfully twirling her.

"While I was one of those...things?" Willow asked, grimacing at the thought.

"I was trying to teach him how to dance, so he could dance with you," Rose said, feeling the need to explain. Willow just shook her head and grinned at her blonde cousin.

"Rose!" the Doctor suddenly exclaimed. "I've just remembered!"

"What?" Rose asked, startled, as was Willow.

'In the Mood' started to play then and lights started to flash around them. The Doctor started to move towards Willow, who flushed, in time to the music, snapping his fingers.

"I can dance!" the Doctor said, grinning happily.

"Actually, Doctor...I though Jack might like this dance," Rose said.

"I'm sure he would, Rose. I'm absolutely certain. But who with?" the Doctor asked and Rose sniggered, knowing he was referring to Jack's 'flexibility'. The Doctor grabbed Willow away from the pillar she was leaning against and spun her around perfectly and she laughed happily. She was almost one-hundred percent positive the Doctor was only faking not knowing how to dance earlier so she could teach him.

Willow giggled quietly as the Doctor spun her around the console and then dipped her. They stood like that for a few moments, just staring in each other's eyes. Both Jack and Rose were silently laughing and smirking at the couple.

Willow held her breath as the Doctor pulled her back up and gently kissed her on the lips as the sound of 'In the Mood' kept playing. Willow flushed a very dark red, but smiled nonetheless and in the background, Rose punched the air, beaming at her cousin. That day, everybody lived.


	11. Boom Town

**Boom Town**

**A/N: So, here's another chapter, and again, sorry for any confusion! And I don't own anything besides Willow Tyler.**

Very randomly one day, Rose Tyler decided that she wanted her passport, despite the Doctor explaining to the blonde that she didn't need it, travelling with him. Rose only shrugged her shoulders, still wanting it, as well as to see Mickey Smith, her sort-of boyfriend. Willow had decided that if Mickey was bothering to bring Rose's, then he could bring hers, as well.

The Doctor had parked the Tardis in Millennium Centre Square in Cardiff, in front of the silver water fountain. They were parked over the rift, very near where they had fought the Gelth in Cardiff.

Willow, not much else for her to do at the moment (they were waiting on Mickey to show up), was lounging in the pilot's seat, painting her toenails. The Doctor swallowed as he saw her painting them blood red, which he found very attractive. Things between the two had been slightly awkward since the Doctor had kissed her. Well, you couldn't really call it a kiss. Willow was very nervous that he had only done it in the heat of the moment and that he didn't really like her. After all, she saw how close the Doctor and Rose were. She thought that the Doctor was in love with Rose and that the kiss had been a mistake (obviously the Doctor didn't know any of her worries).

While pondering on this, a knock on the door made Willow jump so badly that she painted a blood red streak all the way across her big toe on her left foot.

"Oh, bloody hell!" she exclaimed in frustration while Rose sniggered at her cousin and the red line going across her foot. Willow took the rag the Tardis had supplied for her for this exact reason (Willow could never paint her nails without making a mess) and attempted to clean it up, to no avail.

Jack practically swaggered over to the door and opened it. He popped his head out and asked, "Who the hell are you?"

"What d'you mean, who the hell am I? Who the hell are you?" Willow heard Mickey ask rudely and sighed at the testosterone while nearly rubbing her toe raw to get rid of the paint.

"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack answered suavely. "Whatever you're selling, we're not buying."

"Get out of my way!" Mickey growled and he pushed past Jack into the Tardis.

"Don't tell me, this must be Mickey," Jack scoffed, shutting the door.

"Here comes trouble!" the Doctor said from up on a ladder. He looked like a total dork with a red flashing light strapped to his forehead. Willow smiled at him fondly before frowning and looking away, feeling awkward starting at him. "How're you doing, Ricky boy?"

"It's Mickey!" Mickey exclaimed, tired of the Doctor getting his name wrong.

"Like Mickey Mouse?" Willow teased, smiling at him gently. She only teased Mickey 'cos she was his friend. He grinned back at her, used to her teasing him.

"Don't listen to them," Rose said. "They're winding you up."

"You look fantastic," Mickey said, grinning at Rose. They gave each other a big hug as Willow asked sarcastically, "What about me? Don't I look fantastic, too?"

"Of course you do," Mickey beamed, giving Willow a hug. Willow was like the little sister that he had never had. Sure, they had their differences before, but what siblings didn't?

"Aww, how sweet, look at these two," Jack said, grinning at the Doctor. "How come I never get any of that?"

"Buy me a drink first," the Doctor said, making Willow giggle in her quiet way as she pulled away from Mickey.

"You're such hard work," Jack said, joking, but in his way, completely serious.

"But worth it," the Doctor said, grinning. Willow raised an eyebrow at him and he winked at her, completely confusing the red-head.

"Did you manage to find it?" Rose asked Mickey.

"There you go," Mickey said, handing Rose the passports. "Yours and Willow's."

"Thank you, Mickey," Willow called out. She gathered up the nail polish and put it away, so her toe nails would dry. Her fingernails were already on their way to drying, the same blood red as her toes. She looked funny, balancing her feet so her toes would keep apart to dry and waving her hands around in the air to fan them. The Doctor smirked fondly at her and then looked away before getting caught.

"We can go anywhere now!" Rose said, grinning at the Doctor and Willow. Rose handed Willow her passport, Willow handling it very carefully so she didn't get nail polish on it, and set it on the console.

"I told you—you two don't need a passport!" the Doctor said in an exasperated tone, rolling his eyes.

"It's all very well going to platform one and Justicia and the Glass Pyramid of San Kloon but what if we end up in Brazil? Willow and I might need them. You see, I'm prepared for anything," Rose said, sticking her tongue out at the Doctor, smiling.

"Sounds like you're staying then," Mickey said.

An awkward silence filled the room then. Willow slipped her open-toed flats on, so that her shoes wouldn't mess up her nails, still looking funny hobbling around and Mickey smiled at her to try to lighten the mood.

"So, what're you doing in Cardiff?" Mickey finally asked. "And who the hell's Jumping Jack Flash? I mean, I don't mind you hanging out with big-ears up there-"

"Oi!" the Doctor yelled out.

"Look in the mirror," Mickey said and Willow giggled quietly as the Doctor shook his head and returned to his work. Mickey pulled Willow into a one-armed side hug before he continued.

"But his guy, I dunno, he's kinda..." Mickey trailed off, gesturing to Jack with his free hand that wasn't around Willow.

"Handsome?" Jack supplied with a smirk.

"More like cheesy," Mickey said flatly and Willow let out a quiet giggle at that. Jack was a little cheesy, but Willow still liked him, in a total platonic, brother-sister way. After really having no siblings, except for Rose, she was really starting to see Jack as the older brother she never had.

"Early 21st Century slang—is cheesy good or bad?" Jack asked genuinely confused.

"It's bad," Mickey said, really not liking this new guy. The Doctor was bad enough, stealing away Rose's affections (not romantically, just enough to ignore poor Mickey), as well as Willow's (this time, romantically; Mickey missed his little sister), but now there was this new guy that could very well steal away Rose's affections, romantically wise.

"But bad means good, isn't that right?" Jack asked, still confused by the slang of the present.

"It's bad," Willow said to Jack, smiling at him, while Mickey rolled his eyes.

"Are you saying I'm not handsome?" the Doctor asked, raising an eyebrow, looking pointedly at Willow, though she didn't notice. She was too busy patting Jack on the back, trying to console him (all while giggling) at Mickey's barb.

"Sure you are," Willow said, in an off-handed tone, then realized what she said and flushed darkly. Mickey chuckled and hugged her into his side, stealing her from Jack, who frowned.

"We just stopped off," Rose said to Mickey, smiling at him hugging Willow. "We need to refuel. Thing is, Cardiff's got this rift running through the middle of the city. It's invisible, but it's like an earthquake fault between different dimensions-"

"The rift was healed back in 1869-" the Doctor said.

"During Christmas, mind you," Willow said, testing a fingernail and finding it dry. She smiled up happily at Mickey, who was looking very lost in that moment.

"Thanks to a girl named Gwyneth, 'cos these creatures called the Gelth, they were using the rift as a gateway but she saved the world and closed it," Rose said.

"But nobody ever knew that she did," Willow said. "She was the silent hero that saved the world."

Mickey looked like he didn't even follow it, his head moving to each person that spoke, almost as if watching a tennis match.

"But closing a rift always leaves a scar, and that scar generates energy, harmless to the Human Race-" Jack said.

"But perfect for the Tardis, so just park it here for a couple of days right on top of the scar and-" the Doctor said, but Jack interrupted.

"Open up the engines, soak up the radiation-"

"Like filling her up with petrol and off we go!" Rose said.

"Into time!" Jack said, hi-fiving Rose and Willow, whom had left Mickey's side, joining the nerd brigade.

"And space!" Rose, Willow, Jack, and the Doctor all exclaimed at the same time before all of them breaking down into laughter. Willow held a hand over her mouth, until her quiet giggles ceased.

"Whoo!" Rose called out.

"It's fantastic!" Willow said, grinning at Mickey, who was looking at the four of them like they were freaks.

"Oh, my gosh, have you seen yourselves? You all think you're so clever, don't you?" Mickey said, looking at the four of them in disbelief.

"Yeah!" the Doctor said.

"Yeah!" Rose said.

"Yep!" Jack said, popping the 'p'.

"Of course!" Willow said, bumping her shoulder with Mickey's.

Willow gave another quiet giggled as Jack gave Mickey a friendly slap on the cheek.

"Right," the Doctor said, "we've got a bunch of time, so out we go."

Willow grabbed her purple pea coat on the way out, and wished she hadn't painted her toenails, 'cos her toes were freezing. At least she had had enough sense to put on jeans that morning instead of a dress, like she had been planning on; Cardiff was no place for dresses, as it was usually always cold and raining when they were there. When they all five of them stepped out of the Tardis, the Doctor said, "Should take another twenty-four hours, which means we've got time to kill."

"That old lady's staring," Mickey said, pointing out an elderly lady with a walker that was indeed, staring at them oddly.

"Probably wondering what five people could do inside a small wooden box..." Jack said, patting the Doctor suggestively on the shoulder. Rose, Jack, and the Doctor all sniggered, while Willow let out a quiet giggle that the Doctor found endearing.

"What are you captain of? The Innuendo Squad?" Mickey asked sarcastically while Jack made a 'whatever' sign with his fingers and walked off a few steps.

"Wait!" Mickey shouted after him. "Er, the Tardis—we can't just leave it. Doesn't it get noticed?"

"Yeah, what's with the police box? Why does it look like that?" Jack asked.

"It's a cloaking device," Rose said.

"Which broke," Willow added and the Doctor smiled proudly at her. Rose rolled her eyes at the two. She had noticed how awkward they were being around each other and wished they would just kiss and get over it; it was driving her crazy.

"It's called a chameleon circuit," the Doctor said. "The Tardis is meant to disguise itself wherever it lands, like if this was Ancient Rome, it'd be a statue on a plinth or something. But I landed in the 1960s, it disguised itself as a police box, and the circuit got stuck."

"So it copied a real thing? There actually was police boxes?" Mickey asked, shocked by this.

"Yup," Willow said, giggling quietly at the mock-glare Mickey gave her. He then smiled at her and pulled her into another side-hug. He had really missed his little sis, as well as Rose. Willow was always the one he had gone to when he was having relationship problems with Rose. _Well, _Willow thought, _looks like I have _two _older brothers now to look out for me_. She just didn't know if this was a good or bad thing yet.

"Yeah, on street corners," the Doctor said. "Phone for help before they had radios and mobiles. If they arrested someone, they could shove them inside until help came. Like a little prison cell."

"Why don't you just fix the circuit?" Jack asked, leaning towards the Doctor.

"I like it! Don't you?" the Doctor said.

"I _love_ it," Rose said, patting the side of the box affectionately.

"It's amazing. Looks great and very blue," Willow said. "Which also happens to be my favourite colour."

Rose smirked at that. She knew that Willow's favourite colour had changed to blue only after they had started travelling with the Doctor. The Doctor, however, didn't know that and filled away that fact about Willow away in his massive Time Lord brain.

"But that's what I meant!" Mickey exclaimed. "There's no police boxes anymore, so doesn't it get noticed?"

"Ricky, let me tell you something about the Human Race. You put a mysterious blue box slap bang in the middle of town and what do they do?" the Doctor asked.

He put his hands on Mickey's shoulders, which caused Mickey to let go of Willow, who sent a small smirk at him. Mickey opened his mouth to say something, but he didn't even get a chance, as the Doctor continued speaking.

"Walk past it. Now stop your nagging, let's go and explore!" the Doctor said. He grabbed Willow's hand on his way past her and linked his fingers with her. He smiled down at her, taking in her very confused expression. She started down at their joined hands with a furrowed brow as Mickey, Jack, and Rose all followed them.

"What's the plan?" Rose asked, walking beside Willow, addressing the Doctor.

"I don't know! Cardiff. Early 21st Century," the Doctor said. Willow grinned back at Rose as she saw her cousin bouncing up and down in excitement. "And the wind's coming from the...East. Trust me—safest place in the universe," the Doctor said, squeezing Willow's hand. It caused her stomach to flip around and confusion to overtake her mind. Why was he doing this to her if he was in love with Rose? Shouldn't it be Rose's hand he was holding and squeezing? Rose just shook her head at the pair beside her.

"How about some chips?" Willow blurted out, trying to get her mind off the Doctor. Rose started bouncing even more at the thought of chips and grinned, her tongue poking out of her teeth.

"Sound's like a plan," the Doctor. The five of them ended up in a little restaurant on a pier, eating fish and chips. Willow was seated in between Jack and Rose (much to the Doctor's disappointment), flat out laughing at an exciting (and hilarious) story Jack was telling all of them.

"I swear, six feet tall and with tusks-" Jack said, waving his hands around manically to prove his point.

"You're lying through your teeth!" the Doctor exclaimed, laughing.

"I'd've gone bonkers! That's the word—bonkers!" Rose said, giggling like mad.

"I mean, it turns out the white things are tusks and I mean tusks! And it's woken, and it's not happy-" Jack said.

"I wonder why?" Willow asked, laughing. She attempted to eat another chip, but she was laughing too hard and nearly chocked on it.

"How could you not know it was there?" the Doctor asked.

"And we're standing there, fifteen of us, naked—" Jack said.

"Naked!?" Rose exclaimed, looking quite happy at that thought.

"That would be a sight to see!" Willow giggled (while going red), making the Doctor green with jealousy for a moment.

"And I'm like, oh, no, no, it's got nothing to do with me. And then it roars, and we are running. Oh, my gosh, we are running! And Brakovitch falls, so I turn to him and I say-"

"I knew we should've turned left!" Mickey interrupted, bursting out with laughter.

"That's my line!" Jack said, laughing, not really caring in the least.

"I don't believe you. I don't believe a word you say ever. That is so brilliant. Did you ever get your clothes back?" Rose asked. Willow giggled still, trying to eat more chips…keyword, trying. She was laughing too hard to even eat or drink her soda.

"No, I just picked him up and went right for the ship, full throttle. Didn't stop until I hit the spacelanes. I was shaking! It was unbelievable, it freaked me out and by the time I got fifteen light years away, I realized I'm like this!" Jack exclaimed, throwing his head back, laughing. Willow covered her mouth, giggling quietly, until she caught sight of the Doctor. He had jumped up, taking a paper from a neighboring table, and walked back to Mickey, Willow, Rose, and Jack with a very solemn look on his face.

"And I was having such a nice day," the Doctor said, reading the paper, holding it up for everyone to see. On the front cover, was the headline that read: 'NEW MAYOR, NEW CARDIFF'. Underneath that, was a picture of Margaret Blaine (aka, Margaret the Slitheen), holding a hand near her face, as if she didn't want her picture taken.

After paying for the chips (Rose, Willow, and Mickey pitched together for it; the Doctor didn't carry money and Jack wasn't even from that century), the five of them marched right down to the town hall, where Margaret the Mayor resided.

"Thank you," Willow said shyly and red-faced, as the Doctor held the door open for her as they all entered the town hall. Willow stopped just beside Rose, as they gathered to make a game plan.

"According to intelligence, the target is the last surviving member of the Slitheen family, a criminal sect from the planet Raxacoricofallapatorius, masquerading as a human being, zipped inside a skin suit. Okay, plan of attack, we assume a basic fifty seven/fifty six strategy, covering all available exits on the ground floor. Doctor, you go face-to-face, that'll designate Exit One, I'll cover Exit Two, Rose and Willow, you're Exit Three, Mickey Smith, you take Exit Four. Have you got that?" Jack rattled off orders. Willow was a little confused as to what exit three was, but just shrugged to herself, deciding to just follow Rose.

Willow gave a small smile at the way the Doctor had been eying up Jack, which was in confusion as to why he was giving orders when the Doctor was in charge. Rose looked like she was trying to understand what Jack had been going on about and poor Mickey just looked plain confused. Willow knew that this was going to be a winging it plan, since Rose didn't look like she knew what to do either.

"Excuse me," the Doctor said in a stern tone. "Who's in charge?"

"Sorry. Awaiting orders, sir," Jack said, looking a little sheepish.

"Right. Here's the plan," the Doctor said in a commanding voice, looking between the four of them. He paused for a moment, thinking and then beamed. "Like he said. Nice plan. Anything else?"

"Present arms," Jack said and Willow pulled out her mobile phone like the rest of them to keep communication. She made sure it was on and working before she stepped off to the side with Rose.

"Ready," Willow said, echoing the Doctor, Rose, and Mickey.

"Speed dial?" Jack asked, checking his own phone, which was very sleek-looking.

Willow pressed a button on her phone so it beeped. She had made sure to put the Doctor at the top of her speed dial list, blushing as she did so. His name was followed by Rose, then Jack, and finally Mickey.

"Yup," the Doctor said.

"Ready," Rose said, nodding.

"Let's do this," Willow said, a determined look making its way in her eyes.

"Check," Mickey said.

"See ya in hell," Jack said with a lazy-looking grin.

Jack walked off to the right, and Willow followed after Rose as she headed off to their exit straight ahead. Willow held her mobile in her hand as she and Rose walked down a corridor, keeping an eye out for Margaret. Suddenly, the Doctor's voice came through both of their mobiles, making Willow jump.

"Slitheen heading North," he said.

"On our way," Rose immediately answered, starting to run. Willow kept her breathing even as she started sprinting after Rose, making sure that the Slitheen didn't escape from them.

"Over and out," Jack's voice came out of Willow's phone. As the two cousins rounded a corner and into another corridor, they were faced with two secretaries, who were blocking the hallway, gabbing.

"Move!" Willow yelled at them, still sprinting. The two didn't move fast enough, though, because Rose just pushed straight through them, making papers fly everywhere.

"Sorry!" Willow called behind her, still sprinting after Rose, starting to pant a little. Finally, Rose and Willow burst out of their exit and Willow spotted Margaret the Slitheen trying to make her escape, running on her short, fat legs, but Rose and Willow blocked her exit, as planned. They ran toward her and Willow flinched slightly as Margaret hissed before the fat alien pulled off an earring. She whirled around to escape the other way, but she was once again blocked as Jack came running towards her, a fierce look on his face. Margaret's eyes widened in shock and she once again turned on heel to run back the way she came, but the Doctor was climbing down the scaffolding, blocking her exit.

"Margaret!" the Doctor called in a sing-song, taunting voice.

There was one last exit, so she started running down it as fast as she could down it, which wasn't very fast. On her way, she pulled off her other earring. Rose, Willow, Jack, and the Doctor all meet up at the beginning of the alley Margaret was running down, all of them panting slightly.

"Who was on Exit Four?" Jack puffed out.

"That was Mickey!" Rose said.

"Here I am!" Mickey said, finally catching up with them, panting. He had toilet paper tangled around his ankle and Willow would've laughed if the situation hadn't been so serious.

"Mickey the Idiot," the Doctor scoffed, shaking his head at the young man.

"I knew I should have gone that way," Willow mock-sighed, but knew she probably wouldn't have done any better; she just liked to tease her big brother.

"Oh, be fair—she's not exactly gonna outrun us, is she?" Rose asked, staring after Margaret. Rose spoke too soon, though, because Margaret then disappeared in a blue light. Willow's eyes widened before she smirked slightly, knowing that the Doctor was good with teleports.

"She's got a teleport! That's cheating! Now we're never gonna get her!" Jack exclaimed.

"Oh, the Doctor's very good with teleports," Rose said, realizing the same thing that Willow had.

"Very good," Willow said, still smirking slightly. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver from his jacket pocket and held it in the air. He gave a dopey grin as he flipped it on for a second and Margaret reappeared, running towards them, closer than she had been running away. She still had a self-satisfied smile on her face, but it faded as she realized she was going in the wrong direction, running back towards the Doctor and his gang.

She screeched to a stop quickly, changing direction and using her teleport again. A split-second after she vanished again, the Doctor used his sonic screwdriver again with a smirk and again, she reappeared, running towards them, even closer. She whirled around, teleporting once more. The Doctor used his sonic for a final time, and she reappeared, right in front of them, gasping for breath. Willow just stood there by the Doctor, her arms crossed, waiting for Margaret to stop running.

"I could do this all day," the Doctor said, cheerfully.

"This is persecution," Margaret said, putting her hands up in surrender, still panting. "Why can't you leave me alone? What did I ever do to you?"

"You tried to kill me and destroy this entire planet," the Doctor said flatly, eyeing the fat woman.

"Apart from that," Margaret said dismissively, waving her hand.

"You tried to kill Willow," the Doctor said, putting an arm around said woman's hip, pulling Willow close to his side. He then let go of Willow and grabbed Margaret by the shoulder, leading her back inside town hall. They went to the exhibition room, where there was a model of a new factory in Cardiff sitting in the middle of the room. Willow looked at it in interest, wondering how it was going to destroy the planet, knowing that with Margaret, it was going to somehow.

"So, you're a Slitheen, you're on Earth, you're trapped. Your family get killed but you teleport our, just in the nick of time. You have no means of escape. What do you do? You build a nuclear power station," the Doctor said to Margaret, indicating to the model that he noticed Willow eyeing.

"But what for?" the Doctor asked, full of pride that Willow knew something was wrong with it.

"A philanthropic gesture. I've learnt the error of my ways," Margaret said, trying her best to sound convincing, but it wasn't working as Willow frowned at her and said, "Yeah, right."

"And it just so happens to be right on top of the rift," the Doctor pointed out.

"What rift would that be?" Margaret asked, playing dumb, which again, wasn't working.

"A rift in space and time," Jack said. "If this power station went into meltdown, the entire planet would go schwwupboom!"

"This station is designed to explode the minute it reaches capacity," the Doctor said, looking at the model.

"Didn't anyone notice?" Rose asked, shocked. "Isn't there someone in London checking this sort of stuff?"

"She probably killed anyone that noticed," Willow said, jerking her thumb in Margaret's direction, knowing that the alien would kill anyone, just to get off the planet.

"We're in Cardiff. London doesn't care! The South Wales coast could fall into the sea and they wouldn't notice—oh...I sound like a Welshman. I've gone native," Margaret said.

"But why would she do that? A great big explosion—she'd only end up killing herself," Mickey pointed out the obvious.

"She's probably got some way out," Willow said to Mickey, looking thoughtful for a moment as she brainstormed several ideas of ways Margaret could get away.

"She's got a name, you know," Margaret said, glaring between Willow and Mickey.

"She's not even a she, she's a...thing," Mickey sneered at the alien.

"Oh, but she's clever..." the Doctor said, examining Margaret. He suddenly jumped forward and seized the middle section off the model, flipping it over. There was a giant circuit board underneath, flashing with colorful lights. Willow's eyes widened, wondering what it was, but knew that it wasn't good.

"Fantastic," the Doctor said, his eyes also widened, but in recognition.

"Is that a tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolator?" Jack asked in a breathless, but excited voice.

"Couldn't have put it better myself," the Doctor said, sparring Jack a grin.

"Ooh, genius," Jack said, taking the board from the Doctor to look at it more closely. The Doctor looked up on the far wall to a poster that had the words, 'Blaidd Drwg' on it, his eyes going wide again as he recognized the words.

"You didn't build this," Jack said to Margaret, awe in his voice.

"I have my hobbies. A little tinkering..." Margaret said, smirking.

"No, no, no, I mean, you really didn't build this. Way beyond you," Jack said.

"I bet she stole it," Mickey sneered at the alien.

"Wouldn't doubt that," Willow said, also eyeing the alien with distaste; after all one had tried to kill her, her aunt Jackie, Rose, Mickey, and the Doctor.

"It fell into my hands," Margaret said, shrugging, indifferent.

"Who'd you kill for it?" Willow snapped at Margaret, hands on her hips.

"Now, really," Margaret said, rolling her eyes. "You just assume..."

"Is it a weapon?" Rose interrupted as Jack set the extrapolator down on the floor.

"It's transport. You see—the reactor blows, the rift opens, phenomenal cosmic disaster, but this thing shrouds you in a forcefield, you have this energy bubble, zzhum, so you're safe. Then you feed it coordinates, stand on top, and ride the concussion all the way out of the solar system," Jack said.

"It's a surfboard!" Mickey said in realization.

"A pan-dimensional surfboard, yeah," Jack said, nodding to the young man, who looked happy that he had gotten it right.

"Still, it's a surfboard," Willow said, shrugging and then got a dreamy look on her face. "I've always wanted to learn how to surfboard."

The Doctor noticed her look and put that information away in his mind to take her and Rose at a later time. Maybe Space Florida, he mused to himself before getting back to business.

"And it would've worked. I would've surfed away from this dead end dump and back to civilization," Margaret said harshly, glaring at all of them.

"You'd blow up a whole planet just to get a lift?" Mickey asked, shocked by this information.

"Like stepping on an anthill," Margaret sneered right back at him.

"How'd you think of the name?" the Doctor asked, looking back up at the poster.

"What, Blaidd Drwg? It's Welsh," Margaret said, curiosity in her voice, wondering why it mattered. After all, she was going to blow up the planet.

"I know, but how did you think of it?" the Doctor asked again.

"Chose it at random, that's all I dunno," Margaret said. "Just sounded good. Does it matter?"

"Blaidd Drwg," the Doctor said, turning around, looking at the cousins.

"What's it mean?" Rose asked.

"Bad Wolf," the Doctor said.

"But I've heard that before, Bad Wolf. I've heard that lots of times..." Rose said in a haunted tone.

"Everywhere we go. Two words. Following us. Bad Wolf," the Doctor said.

"How is that possible?" Willow whispered, also horrified. There was no way that is was a simple coincidence, those words following after them.

"How can they be following us?" Rose asked.

The Doctor didn't answer right away. He stared off into space for a few seconds, then snapped out of his trance.

"Nah! Just a coincidence! Like hearing a word on the radio then hearing it all day. Never mind! Things to do," the Doctor said, not wanting to scare Rose or Willow. He clapped his hands, his mood switching like an actual switch and said, "Margaret, we're gonna take you home."

"Hold on, isn't that the easy option, like letting her go?" Jack asked in shock.

"I don't believe it!" Rose exclaimed gleefully. "We actually get to go to Raxa..."

The Doctor rolled his eyes and Willow shook her head in exasperation at her cousin's attempts to say the planet's name right.

"Wait a minute! Raxacor..." Rose tried again.

"Raxacoricofallapatorius," the Doctor and Willow said at the same time. The Doctor beamed at Willow, causing a red flush to creep up her neck and on her cheeks.

"What?" she asked. "It's a fun word. Of course I memorized it!" She didn't add that she had learned it to make the Doctor proud of her; she kept that bit of information to herself.

"Raxacorico..." Rose tried again.

"...fallapatorius," the Doctor finished for her.

"Raxacoricofallapatorius!" Rose said, screeching in delight.

"That's it!" the Doctor yelled joyfully. They hugged each other and the Doctor picked her up and spun her around the room. Willow turned her head away, not wanting to see the Doctor and Rose express their joy to each other.

"I did it!" Rose yelled happily.

"I didn't get that reaction," Willow muttered to herself. "All I got was a weird look that I knew how to say it."

The Doctor, having heard her, went over and picked her up (greatly startling her) and spun her around. Willow let out a shriek at the suddenness of it and then laughed gleefully. The Doctor pecked her forehead before setting her down again. Willow flushed darker than her hair, hating how easily she got embarrassed.

"They have the death penalty," Margaret said, greatly changing the mood. Silence fell in the room and Willow's smile faded, suddenly sober.

"The family Slitheen was tried in its absence many years ago and found guilty. With no chance of appeal. According to the statutes of government, the moment I return, I am to be executed. What do you make of that, Doctor?" Margaret said, looking the Doctor in the eyes. "Take me home and you take me to my death."

"Not my problem," the Doctor said, trying not to look like it bothered him, but in his hearts, it did. Willow gently laid a hand on his arm in comfort and he gave her a small, sad smile.

As darkness had already started to fall, the Doctor took Margaret's arm and led her back to the Tardis, with Willow, Rose, Jack, and Mickey following. Willow felt very uneasy, having Margaret in such close proximity to them in the Tardis.

As soon as she stepped foot into the Tardis, Margaret said in awe, "This ship is impossible! It's superb. How do you get the outside around the inside?"

"Like I'd give you the secret, yeah," the Doctor said, scoffing at the female alien.

"I feel almost better about being defeated. We never stood a chance. This is the technology of the Gods," Margaret said.

"Don't worship me—I'd make a very bad God," the Doctor said. "You wouldn't get a day off, for starters...Jack, how we doing, big fella?"

Jack was on the floor, next to the console, wiring the extrapolator up to the Tardis. Willow sat crossed legged on the floor next to him, handing him tools when he described them to her, as she didn't know what any of the tools looked like or did.

"This extrapolator's top of the range," Jack said, peering over at Margaret, his eyes narrowed. "Where did you get it?"

"Oh, I don't know...some airlock sale...?" Margaret said, waving her hand dismissively.

"I doubt that," Willow muttered, making Jack give her a small smile.

"Must've been a great big heist. It's stacked with power," Jack said, his eyes still narrowed.

"But we can use it for fuel?" the Doctor asked.

"It's not compatible...but it should knock off about twelve hours. We'll be ready to go by morning," Jack said, nodding his head and accepting another tool from Willow.

"Then we're stuck here. Overnight," the Doctor said.

"I'm in no hurry..." Margaret said, glaring at each of them.

"We've got a prisoner! The police box is really...a police box," Rose said in excitement at what she had discovered.

"You're no just police, though. Since you're taking me to my death, that makes you my executioners. Each and every one of you..." Margaret said, smiling unpleasantly, making Willow shudder. She really didn't like Margaret and how she was trying to guilt-trip them.

"Well, you deserve it," Mickey said coldly.

"You're very quick to say so. You're very quick to soak your hands in my blood. Which makes you better than me, how, exactly...?" Margaret asked, her voice very snappish.

Mickey didn't answer, but looked down, his jaw clenched. Willow reached up from where she sat and patted his leg in comfort and he sent her a small, grateful smile.

"Long night ahead..." Margaret said, looking smug. "Let's see who can look me in the eye."

Margaret walked over to console and sat in one of the seats. She looked at Mickey first, with a calm, collected gaze. He only managed to hold her gaze for a few seconds, before he looked away. She looked at Rose next, who looked at the Doctor guiltily. The Doctor only glanced up for a split-second before he turned to whatever he had been working on.

When Margaret looked at Willow, the red-head held the alien's gaze for a few seconds before dropping her gaze to the tools to hand Jack whichever one he needed next.

A moment later, Mickey stormed out of the Tardis, very upset and pissed off. A second later, Rose followed him, with Willow watching the pair of them leaving before being nudged by Jack to keep working.

"Will they be okay, d'you think?" Willow asked the Doctor from her spot on the floor as she watched him watching Rose and Mickey leave the Square on the monitor. The Doctor jumped, not knowing she had seen him, but left the screen where it was.

"Why don't you just tell her?" Willow asked him, feeling her heart break at the sight of him watching Rose.

"Tell her what?" the Doctor asked, furrowing his brow in confusion, not knowing what she was talking about.

"How you feel about her," Willow said, before standing up and nearly rushing out the door of the Tardis, throwing a "Sorry, Jack!" over her shoulder as she went. She didn't know where she was going (she had never been to Cardiff before; well in this century at least), but she just wandered. She felt the tears coming as her heart completely shattered and found a bench near the wharf and tumbled down on it, sobbing, her face in her hands.

Meanwhile, in the Tardis, the Doctor had the screen still on but this time, on Willow. He had watched Willow flee, starting to cry and he felt confused about what had just happened.

"So, what's on?" Jack asked, talking about Willow, whom he had witnessed dashing out of the Tardis. The Doctor turned the screen off in a hurry as he jerked his head around to look at Jack.

"Nothing, just..." the Doctor said quickly as Margaret was still sitting with her back to the console, smiling in amusement at what she had just seen. She could definitely use the little red-head to her advantage at getting her revenge on the Doctor and then she would kill them all.

Willow had been approached by several people (most of them elderly), checking to see if she was okay. She had finished her crying and was just sitting there, feeling numb. She supposed she looked a mess, which was why they had approached her in the first place.

Finally, she decided enough was enough, that she needed to make her way back to the Tardis. She took out her key and unlocked the door, pushing it open, fervently hoping that the Doctor wasn't there. It seemed like her prayers had been answered as the Doctor was nowhere to be seen. Jack remained, still wiring up the extrapolator to the console.

"Back so soon?" she heard Jack ask, as he hadn't even looked up.

"Yeah, I suppose so," Willow said, sitting down heavily. She flinched at how horrible her voice sounded after she had been crying. Jack's head whipped up, seeing her and grinned, trying to lift her spirits.

"Ya know, all you have to do is talk to him," Jack said after examining her for a moment.

"Who?" Willow asked, playing dumb as she really didn't want to have this conversation right now.

"The Doctor. Talk to him," Jack said, shaking his head at the red-head he had become fond of (as a sister, of course).

"There's nothing to talk about," Willow said, a hint of sadness in her voice. "I know that he loves Rose."

She moved from the pilot seat to her spot on the floor to help Jack, as she had been doing before.

"Then you don't know much," Jack said gently, not wanting to be harsh, as she was already fragile.

"What d'you mean?" Willow asked in confusion, pushing her tears away; she had cried enough and was finished with tears.

"Like I said, talk to him," Jack said, not willing to give out any more information.

"I'll try," Willow said, sighing.

"'Do, or do not. There is no try'," Jack said in a funny voice, making Willow laugh.

She laughed and asked, "So, you know and can reference Star Wars, but you don't know who Spock is?"

Before Jack could answer, Willow let out a small shriek as there was a sudden rumble and the Tardis started shaking. If she had still been in the pilot chair, she definitely would have toppled over onto the floor.

"What's happening1?" Willow asked as Jack stood there in shock for a moment.

"I don't know!" Jack said, panicking. Sparks started to fly out of the console and the extrapolator started to flash wildly.

"Come here and help!" Jack yelled to Willow. She jumped up from the floor and helped him rip wires out of the extrapolator, disconnecting it from the console. The whole ship was shuddering and shaking, almost making Willow lose her footing. Taking the extrapolator from the console wasn't helping, though. The blue ship was still shuddering and shaking, as if there was an earthquake outside.

"What the hell are you two doing?" the Doctor asked Jack and Willow when him and Margaret entered the Tardis.

"It just went crazy!" Jack yelled as Willow scowled at the Time Lord.

"It's the rift! Time and space are ripping apart. The whole city's gonna disappear!" the Doctor exclaimed in realization, running over to the console. Small explosions started coming out of the console and Willow backed away from the sparks, unknowingly towards Margaret.

"What do we do?" Willow asked the Doctor, putting aside her earlier feelings, as he was the only one to know what to do to get them out of the situation.

"I'm working on it!" the Doctor yelled in frustration, causing Willow to flinch back towards Margaret even more.

"It's the extrapolator! Willow and I disconnected it but it's still feeding off the engine!" Jack said exclaimed helplessly. "It's using the Tardis—I can't stop it!"

"Never mind Cardiff—it's gonna rip open the planet!" the Doctor said in horror and Willow's eyes widened at that thought. She jumped as Rose suddenly burst into the Tardis just to her left.

"What is it? What's happening?" Rose asked breathlessly.

"Oh, just little me!" Margaret said gleefully. She freed her arms from her skin suit, revealing the green Slitheen claw. Willow saw what she was about to do a split-second before and pushed her cousin out of the way just in time to be grabbed around the neck by Margaret.

"Willow!" Rose called out in horror, but remained where she was, as she knew that Margaret wouldn't hesitate to kill the red-head.

"One human is as good as another," Margaret snarled in hatred towards the group. The Doctor started to dart forward, worry and anger on his face. "But I think this one means more to the Doctor. Careful. One wrong more and she snaps like a promise."

"I might've known," the Doctor said, glaring at the alien. Willow felt her feet lift from the ground and she started to gasp for breath like a fish out of water. She desperately grasped at Margaret's Slitheen arm, trying to pry her claws from around her neck. Margaret started moving closer to the Doctor with Willow dangling, trying to goad him into action.

"I've had you bleating all night, poor baby, now shut it," she snarled harshly and she turned to Jack, who also had concern all over his face. "You—fly boy—put the extrapolator at my feet."

Jack hesitated for a moment, before grabbing the extrapolator.

"Don't do it, Jack," Willow choked out before Margaret tightened her grip around her neck, causing her face to start to turn red. Jack looked at Rose and the Doctor and Rose seemed to be pleading with her eyes at Jack to save her cousin and the Doctor just nodded solemnly, so Jack did as he was told.

"No-" Willow tried to say, but Margaret cut her off by squeezing a bit tighter. Willow couldn't get in a proper breath and was sure that her eyes were going to pop out of their sockets at any moment.

"Thank you. Just as I planned," Margaret said, sneering at the Doctor.

"I thought you needed to blow up the nuclear power station," Rose said, grounding her teeth together.

"Failing that—if I were to be...arrested...then anyone capable of tracking me down would have considerable technology of their own. Therefore, they would be captivated by the extrapolator. Especially a magpie mind like yours, Doctor. So the extrapolator was programmed to go to Plan B!" Margaret said gleefully.

"Let….go….of….me!" Willow wheezed out, and then she whimpered as Margaret yanked on her hair, hard, with her free hand.

"To lock onto the nearest alien power source and open the rift," Margaret said. She looked around the Tardis in awe and triumph. "And what a power source it found...I'm back on schedule...thanks to you."

"The rift's gonna convulse—she'll destroy the whole planet," Jack said, getting concerned for Willow as her face started to turn purple. He knew that Margaret didn't have a grasp on her to kill her, but he knew that Willow couldn't breathe properly.

"And you with it!" Margaret crowed triumphantly.

Margaret switched Willow to the side, so that she could stand on the extrapolator, but she still held onto her neck. She hissed through her teeth as Margaret cut into the side of her neck slightly with her alien claw. She didn't let it show, though, as she knew that if she didn't die and they all got out of this alive, Jack and Rose (oh, the Titanic references!) would baby her.

"While I ride this board all over the crest of the inferno all the way to freedom. Stand back boys... and blondie...surf's up," Margaret said with an evil grin.

Willow instinctively closed her eyes and turned her head to the side as a bright white light suddenly burst out of the console of the Tardis. It had nearly blinded her and she knew it probably wasn't a good idea to look at any light coming out of the Tardis.

"Of course, opening the rift means you'll pull this ship apart," she heard the Doctor say. She opened her eyes, but looked away from the light, instead, looking at Jack's worried face that was looking back at her.

"So sue me," Margaret sneered, shrugging her shoulders; it was of no consequence to her, or so she thought.

"It's not just any old power source. It's the Tardis. _My_ Tardis. The best ship in the universe," the Doctor said.

"It'll make wonderful scrap," Margaret yet again sneered at the Doctor.

"What's that light?" Rose asked, looking at the light, but not directly into it.

"The heart of the Tardis. This ship's alive. You've opened its soul," the Doctor said solemnly.

"It's...so bright..." Margaret said, in a dream-like voice.

"Look at it, Margaret..." the Doctor said, sounding like he was putting her in a trance.

"...Beautiful..." Margaret breathed out.

"Look inside, Blon Fel Fotch. Look at the light," the Doctor said.

Willow felt Margaret's grip on her beginning to loosen, and she broke loose of her grip. She dropped like a rock onto the floor, holding onto her neck, trying to stop the bleeding, as getting loose had made it worse. She coughed roughly, gulping in huge, deep breaths. Rose knelt beside her, gently patting her on the back as she coughed. She was sure she looked like a mess; her throat bruised and bleeding, and her eyes probably bloodshot from a vein or two breaking in them. Oh, well. She would deal with that later. Right now, she had to focus on breathing normally again.

Margaret was still staring at the light, with a peaceful smile on her face. She looked up at the Doctor, who gave a small smile to her.

"Thank you..." Margaret said.

She was engulfed by the light, and when it was gone, her body suit she had been wearing flopped to the floor, empty. The Doctor jumped forward to the console to fix his beloved blue box. Willow stayed on the floor, exhausted, her eyes watering and indeed bloodshot (Rose thought they kinda looked freaky) and throat sore and burning from her cut.

"Don't look—stay there—close your eyes!" the Doctor said ordered Jack and Rose.

Willow snapped her eyes shut, sitting up to bury her head in Rose's shoulder, now sobbing. The bright light suddenly disappeared behind her eyelids, so she opened them and lifted her head from Rose's shoulder, but her sobbing didn't stop. Rose pulled her into a hug, sitting there on the floor, rocking the red-head gently, stroking her hair and making gentle shushing noises. The Doctor and Jack glanced at the sobbing Willow for a moment before jumping into action.

"Now, Jack, come on—shut it all down. Shut down!" the Doctor ordered and Jack rushed over to the console, doing as the Doctor commanded.

"Rose, that panel over there—turn all the switches to the right," the Doctor demanded. Rose glared at his insensitivity for a moment before doing as he said, but not before helping Willow to her feet.

"What can I do?" Willow asked, wiping the tears off her face.

"Um...nothing," the Doctor said, looking a little guilty. "You should rest and bandage that neck of yours."

"I'm fine," Willow snapped at him, gently touching her neck. She knew she shouldn't help because she was utter rubbish at flying the Tardis, but she still felt useless.

"Fine, push that button there," the Doctor said, sighing, wishing he knew what was wrong with her.

Willow immediately rushed over and pressed the button the Doctor indicated to. The console was showering all of them in sparks, but finally, the shaking almost stopped and everything went back to normal. Willow wiped away her remaining tears and checked her neck, which had finally stopped bleeding.

"Nicely done. Thank you, all," the Doctor said, nodding at each of them.

"What happened to Margaret?" Rose asked.

"Must've got burnt up. Carried out her own death sentence," Jack said.

"No. I don't think she's dead," the Doctor said, looking down at the body suit.

"Then, where'd she go?" Rose asked.

"She looked into the heart of the Tardis, and even I don't know how strong that is. And the ship's telepathic—like I told you, Rose and Willow. Gets inside your head. Translates alien languages. Maybe the raw energy can translate all sorts of thoughts..." the Doctor said thoughtfully.

The Doctor knelt down by the body suit for a closer look, Rose and Jack following him. Willow craned her neck to see, hissing as it pulled her wound, causing it to bleed again. She took a moment to rip off a strip of clothing from the bottom of her shirt. The sound made the Doctor, Rose, and Jack all jump at the suddenness of it.

"Sorry," Willow muttered to them and tied the strip around her neck and over her cut to try and get it to stop bleeding again. She carefully (she didn't want to injure herself further) knelt down next to the other three as the Doctor reached into the skin suit and pulled out an egg.

"Here she is!" the Doctor exclaimed, holding the egg up for them all to see.

"She's an egg?" Rose asked in bewilderment.

"What? How is that possible?" Willow asked breathlessly (though not like before).

"Regressed to her childhood," the Doctor explained.

"She's an egg?" Jack repeated Rose, raising an eyebrow.

"She can start again! Live her life from scratch. If we take her home, give her to a different family, tell 'em to bring her up properly, she might be all right!" the Doctor said cheerfully.

"An egg!" Willow said, smiling in wonderment.

"Or she might be worse," Jack pointed out.

"That's her choice," the Doctor said, grinning.

"She's an egg," Rose said, still in shock.

"She's an egg," the Doctor said happily.

"Oh, my gosh. Mickey-" Rose said suddenly remembering him. She jumped up and dashed out of the Tardis and Willow watched the Doctor watch Rose leave, her heart completely shattered. She turned around on her heel and took off through the Tardis. She didn't know exactly where she was going, but she was in search of the med-bay. The Tardis kept hiding it from her, though, and she let out a scream of frustration before sitting down in the middle of the hallway she was currently in. A few minutes later, the Doctor found her and sat down beside her, taking her hand.

"What do you want?" Willow asked sullenly, taking her hand from him to put her knees up and rested her arms on the them.

"Can we talk?" the Doctor asked, not really knowing how to approach the emotional girl. It wasn't his forte.

"What about?" she asked. She lifted her head up and the Doctor saw tears trails going down her cheeks.

"I think you know," the Doctor said quietly.

"So why d'you want to talk to me?" Willow asked harshly. "Go. Go and talk to Rose. Just leave me alone!"

The Doctor didn't answer her. Instead, he grabbed Willow's chin and slammed his lips onto hers. Willow melted for a second, moving her lips against his roughly, trembling as he nipped at her bottom lip. Then, she blinked and came to her senses. She pulled back, eyes wide and scared, and slapped him.

"What the bloody hell d'you think you're doing?!" she asked, trying to sound angry, but it came out as breathless.

"Ow! What was that for?" the Doctor exclaimed, holding a hand to his reddening cheek.

"For kissing me!" she yelled, jumping up to storm away from him; she couldn't take his games anymore, she just wanted to go home, to Aunt Jackie. The Doctor stood up as well, fully prepared to follow after her until she heard reason.

"What?" he asked, surprised that she had said that; he had felt her respond to him and he knew that she had liked it.

"Why did you just kiss me?" Willow hissed at him, clenching her fists at her sides. "It'll just complicate everything!"

"Because I wanted to," the Doctor said firmly.

"What about Rose?" Willow snapped out, concerned for her cousin over her own happiness.

"What _about_ Rose?" the Doctor said, confused as to where she was going with this.

"ARGH!" Willow suddenly screamed out, startling, as it was very uncharacteristic of her and she stormed off down the corridor and back to the console room. She had started crying, half out of sadness from her broken heart, and half out of irritation. The Doctor entered a second later, looking extremely confused, with a red mark on his face. Willow sat on the pilot chair and turned her head away and ignored him. She knew she was acting a little childish, but right now, she just wanted to go home.

"So, what happened here?" Jack asked awkwardly between the two of them. He noticed the slap mark on the Doctor's face, as well as Willow's swollen lips and smirked a bit.

"Nothing," Willow said, giving him a cold glare at seeing his smirk.

He put up his hands. "Okay, then."

A second later, Rose entered the Tardis after unsuccessfully finding Mickey. The Doctor had busied himself, fiddling with the console. Jack was sitting on the seat with Willow, his arm around her. She was still crying a bit, snuffing now and then. She really hated crying; it always gave her such a headache afterwards, but Jack had told her that it was better to cry and let all the emotions out, or else she would bottle them up and explode.

"We're all powered up," the Doctor said quietly. "We can leave. Opening the rift filled us up with energy—we can go. If that's all right..."

"Yeah, fine," Rose said, traces of tears on her cheeks at hurting Mickey like she had, but she knew that she wasn't likely to change that.

"How's Mickey?" the Doctor asked, though he really didn't care about that. He just wanted to figure out what was wrong with Willow.

"He's okay. He's gone," Rose said, noticing her cousin, who was also still crying.

"D'you wanna go and find him? We'll wait..." the Doctor said. Willow gave a very watery snort before burying her face in her hands. The Doctor and Jack looked at each other as Jack tightened his arm around her, hugging her to his chest.

"No need. He deserves better," Rose said. Willow looked up and patted the seat beside her and Rose sat down.

"Off we go, then," the Doctor said. "Always moving on..." He pulled a lever on the console.

"Next stop, Raxacoricofallapatorius," Jack said, squeezing Willow's shoulder, trying to cheer her up. "Now, you don't often get to say that."

"We'll just stop by and pop her in the hatchery. Margaret the Slitheen can live her life again! A second chance," the Doctor exclaimed, feigning excitement.

"That'd be nice," Rose said quietly. Willow patted her shoulder, then lay her head on it as the engines of the Tardis started up.

"What a mess we are," Willow said quietly to Rose, snuggling up to her cousin.

"What happened to you?" Rose asked, noticing the tears. Willow whispered in her ear and told her all about her encounter with the Doctor.

"How thick are ya?" Rose asked in astonishment.

"What?" Willow asked, totally bewildered, so shocked that she started hiccupping.

"The Doctor's obviously in love with you," Rose said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world; to her it was at least.

"No, he's not. He loves you. I saw the look on his face when he watched you leave the Tardis with Mickey earlier," Willow said firmly, annoyed at her hiccups.

"I don't think that's what it was," Rose said, looking thoughtful for a moment. "I think he was debating about telling you how he felt."

"But-" Willow tried to say, but Rose cut her off.

"Willow Jane Tyler, shut up and go kiss the man already," Rose said bossily, showing her inner Jackie. Willow shakily stood up and slowly approached the Doctor, a bit scared at what he'd say. Her heart was already broken at this point, so there wasn't much more to be done with it, right?

"I'm sorry," Willow said meekly, her head hanging. "For slapping ya."

"Willow-" the Doctor said, surprised, yet again, that she'd even approached him.

"No, let me talk," Willow said, before taking a deep breath for courage. "I've been confused lately, Doctor. On one hand, I have my feelings for you—no, please don't interrupt—and on the other, I know how you feel about Rose."

"Rose?" the Doctor asked, once again bewildered at what the blonde had to do with all this.

"I know you love her, Doctor. That's why I sorta slapped you earlier."

"Rose?" the Doctor repeated in confusion. "You think I love Rose? You daft, beautiful little human. It was never Rose. It was you. You, Willow. Not Rose."

"Wha-?" Willow asked, but that was as far as she got, as the Doctor took her face in his hands and kissed her gently. It took her a moment, but she got over the shock and returned the kiss. Getting excited, the Doctor picked her up and swung her around in a circle, breaking the kiss with a laugh. Dizzy, and feeling slightly out of breath a the Doctor's admission, Willow stumbled back to where Rose and Jack were sitting with a stupid smile on her face.

"So?" Rose asked, raising an eyebrow, as did Jack.

Willow couldn't manage words, she was so speechless. She only stared at her cousin, gaping like a fish, her eyes wide in shock.

"I knew it!" Rose exclaimed, punching the air.

Willow didn't even get out of the Tardis on Raxacoricofallapatorius (she didn't even realize that they were there, much less that anyone had left the Tardis). She stayed inside, wrapped up in her thoughts, sitting like a statue on the pilot seat. When everyone came back in, Rose noticed the small, blissful smile on her cousin's face.


	12. Bad Wolf

**Bad Wolf**

Willow Tyler gasped as she jerked awake, as there was somebody shaking her shoulder a bit roughly. She couldn't open her eyes at first, as she felt very dizzy and disoriented.  
>What was happening? Where was she? Who was she?<p>

"Wake up!" a voice hissed near her ear. It was a voice that she had never heard before and Willow was very wary of it.

"Who're you, then?" Willow slurred out, not fully functioning yet.

"Name's Nick. Who're you?" the man asked.

"I'm Willow, I think" Willow said. She sat up very slowly, feeling very nauseous. She held her head, feeling a huge headache coming on. When she was fully sitting up, she felt like she was going to throw up, and then actually did.

"Easy, there, tiger," Nick said, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "Can we get some staff over here?"

"What happened?" Willow asked, looking around the still slightly spinning room. "Last thing I remember was Raxacoricofallapatorius, and then...bright light...then...nothing."

"That was probably the transmat. Messes with your head and makes you sick. I was sick for about three days," Nick said, looking at her in pity.

"I don't have three days! I've got to find my friends!" Willow said, as she started panicking, still feeling sick. She scrambled to her feet, feeling ready to throw up again, but she forced herself not to. Her friends. She had to find her friends. Who were her friends? She couldn't remember their names or what they looked like.

"Hold on there, sweetheart," Nick said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You can't leave. The game's about to start in a few minutes and besides, they'd never let you just leave."

Willow then looked around again, wondering where she was. She honestly couldn't remember anything about what had happened. She remembered staying in the Tardis after the Doctor telling her that he loved her…the Doctor! Rose! Jack! Those were her friends! It was all coming back to her now.

"Where am I?" she asked, letting her panic take over. "Where's the Doctor? What did you do to him?"

"You're on Deal or No Deal," Nick said. "Doctor who?"

"What, the game show?" Willow asked with a hysterical laugh. She started whipping around, looking for an exit. She had to get out of there as soon as she could.

"Yup," Nick said, nodding, noticing the wild and panicking look in her eyes.

"Well, how'd I end up here?" Willow asked him, as if it were some sort of joke or scam. She was very tense, prepared to take off running in a split second if things started going bad.

"I told you, transmat," Nick said, shrugging his shoulders.

"So what about my friends, then?" she snarled at him. "Where are the Doctor, Rose, and Jack?"

"Probably transmatted into different games," Nick said. "Come on, the game's ready to start. You don't want to upset the host. Just remember, do your best. Don't pick anything over £100,000, and you'll probably live."

"What?" Willow asked, confused at what he was saying. She ran his words over in her mind, but they still didn't make any sense to her.

"Right, you're on next. Good luck, and don't die," Nick said with a small smile, starting to walk off.

"What?" Willow asked again, with confusion. She started to unconsciously rub her scar on her chin, like she did whenever she was nervous.

"And don't forget, this is live," Nick said.

"Live?" Willow asked, her eyebrows furrowed in bewilderment.

"On television," Nick clarified.

A couple of technicians came out then and dragged Willow out to the main floor with her struggling against them the whole way. Her eyes widened in horror and realization when she spotted her name above where the banker was. Over on the board were all the amounts, ranging from 1p to £250,000. Willow swallowed, still wondering what was going on. Thankfully, there was no audience, but there was one other person in the studio with her. Well, not a person, but a robot. Willow blinked in surprise as she actually recognized who the robot was supposed to be: a replica of Noel Edmonds.

"I'm sorry, but what's going on?" Willow asked, grabbing the arm of one of the technicians as she walked past.

"The game is about to start. Good luck," the technicians said, before the pair of them walked off, leaving Willow by herself. She was still dizzy from the transmat and felt like throwing up and passing out at the same time. A minute later, a bunch of women wearing skimpy dresses came out. They were carrying the usual briefcases with numbers on them. Willow noticed something odd, though: the briefcases were handcuffed to each woman's wrists. That was something that wasn't on the show, neither was a robot. She knew 'cos Aunt Jackie used to watch the show all the time when she was little.

"Pick a case," the Noel robot said in a metallic voice.

Willow grinned at the stupidity of all this before glancing through the cases that were numbered one through twenty-two.

"Umm...nine?" she said, as if it was a question, with a small laugh. The woman with the number nine briefcase carried it down. As she approached the table where Willow was standing, Willow noticed that the woman looked terrified and was crying silently. She set the briefcase down on the table (after the handcuff was released from her wrist) and backed away. A laser beam shot out of the Noel robot's mouth and the woman disappeared into a pile of ash right in front of Willow.

Willow gave a small shriek and put her hands over her mouth in horror. She opened her mouth, but was too terrified to speak. What the bloody hell was that? What happened to that woman? Was she dead? Was the same thing gonna happen to her?

"Now, you have your case. You get to pick six cases to start out. If you pick the £250,000 case, you shall leave the game by disintegration. Now, Willow Tyler, pick your cases," the Noel robot said.

At first, Willow is too terrified to speak. She opened and closed her mouth several times, probably resembling a fish, but nothing came out.

"PICK YOUR CASES!" the droid repeated with more volume, making Willow jump and whimper slightly.

"Um...um...number twenty?" Willow whispered out. She noted that the poor girl that carried case twenty looked as terrified as the first one had. The woman opened the case to name the amount.

Willow silently had tears going down her face (and guilt flooding her body) as the girl that had the case was disintegrated like the first one had been. It seemed, once she chose a case, the woman holding it was disintegrated. The game went on and Willow was lucky with her number choices but not so much for the women. Willow was sickened by this whole thing. If the Doctor, Rose, and Jack were in other games, were they already gone? Was this just some plot to kill them? For about the first time since traveling with the Doctor, Willow was properly terrified. She had been scared before, but not to this extent.

She was down to picking single cases. She was still alive, which meant she had the £250,000 case still out there somewhere. She had chosen the eleventh case last, and the woman was about to open it. Suddenly, they went to break again. One of the technicians came out and touched up on her make up, like they had to do every break because Willow kept breaking down in tears. She felt guilt in her stomach (which made her want to throw up again) at the thought of killing all these poor girls.

"This is so wrong," Willow whispered to one of the technicians.

The technician didn't answer and she finished with her make up, hurrying back stage. Willow looked at the back of the technician's jacket and read, 'Bad Wolf Corporation.' She suddenly remembered all the times she had heard the words 'Bad Wolf' recently, the last being in Cardiff.

"Shit," she whispered to herself. "Bad Wolf. It's everywhere. It's all connected. But what does it mean?"

"Alright, and 5...4...3..." a technician yelled out. He held up his fingers to signal the last two seconds, then the game went live again.

"Lisa will now open the case," Noel droid said. The woman was literally trembling in fear as she opened the case with shaking fingers. The woman looked in the case and then looked at Willow in pure fear. Not for herself, but for Willow. The case was open all the way and Willow saw that the number inside read, '£250,000.' She knew it was game over. She was going to die now.

"Willow!" she heard a voice yell out. She knew who it was before she even looked up.

"Doctor!" she yelled back. She looked at him and saw sadness, anger, and fear in his eyes. "Help-" She was cut off as the disintegrate beam shot her in the head, rendering her to a pile of ashes.

The Doctor was pissed off. He had lost both Rose and Willow in the same day, and it was all his fault. His fault that they were both dead. Well, that and the staff's fault. They were running this station, wherever they were. He had gone for Willow and Jack had volunteered to try to get to Rose. After he had failed, the Doctor had been placed under arrest and put into a holding cell, where he had found Jack and Lynda with a 'y'. One look at Jack's face and hanging head told him what he needed to know and answered his question. The Doctor turned unresponsive to anyone and anything. After having his picture taken, the Doctor was led back to the cell with Jack.

"Let's do this," he said to Jack. Jack and the Doctor quickly knocked all of the guards out, snatching the keys and weapons (along with the Doctor's sonic screwdriver), and left, setting off an alarm.

Willow slowly woke up for the second time that day. She was a bit groggy a first, then she took in her surroundings slowly. She didn't recognize the ship she was on and it didn't look like she was still on the station she had been on before. Something suddenly came around the corner of the corridor she was lying in. She pushed herself up off the floor and stared in horror at the alien.

"Shit," she whispered. "You can't be real. I watched you die! It's not possible!"

She scrambled to her feet and away from the alien. Finally, there was no more corridor available to step backwards in and Willow suddenly found her back up against the wall. The creature kept coming at her, not stopping.

"YOU ARE WILLOW TYLER, ASSOSIATE TO THE DOCTOR. YOU WILL COME WITH ME!" the Dalek screamed at her.

Shaking in fear, Willow let herself be herded into another corridor that was filled with Daleks. _So_, she thought. _I guess the disintegrate ray wasn't that at all. It was a teleport beam._ She gasped as she spotted Rose across the room, surrounded by Daleks. Willow was pushed from behind (she growled at the Dalek under her breath and cursed it) towards Rose's direction.

"MOVE!" the Dalek behind her ordered.

"Alright, alright. I'm moving," Willow said in a shaky voice. She hurried over to her cousin, who was sitting on the floor and knelt down.

"Rose, are you okay?" Willow asked, tightly embracing slash shielding Rose from the Daleks. Rose just gave a slight nod, her eyes wide and frightened.

"ALERT! ALERT! WE ARE DETECTED!" one Dalek to Willow's right yelled.

"IT IS THE DOCTOR! HE HAS LOCATED US!" another one yelled. "OPEN COMMUNICATIONS CHANNEL!"

The first Dalek turned to Rose and Willow. Willow placed herself in front of Rose, ready to protect her cousin in any way she could.

"THE FEMALES WILL STAND! STAND!" the Dalek yelled. Willow grabbed Rose's arm and helped her stand up. Both of the girls appeared to be in shock. Willow again made sure that Rose was behind her, against the wall and away from the Daleks.

Suddenly, an image materialized in mid air. The image showed the Doctor, Jack, two woman, and a man. Willow gave a sigh of relief that both the Doctor and Jack were alright.

"I WILL SPEAK TO THE DOCTOR," the second Dalek said.

"Oh, will you? That's nice. Hello!" the Doctor said, waving mockingly. His fake grin that he had gave faded quickly as he looked Willow and Rose over for injuries.

"THE DALEK STRATAGEM NEARS COMPLETION. THE FLEET IS ALMOST READY. YOU WILL NOT INTERVENE," the Dalek said.

"Oh, really? Why's that then?" the Doctor asked.

"WE HAVE YOUR ASSOSIATES. YOU WILL OBEY OR THEY WILL BE EXTERMINATED," the Dalek said in his metallic voice.

Rose was clutching at Willow from behind, both of them frightened, but Willow was determined to put on a brave face for the Doctor to not let him see how terrified she really was. She clenched her jaw tightly, glaring at the Daleks around them.

"No," the Doctor said.

Willow felt her jaw drop. What was the Doctor doing? Was this part of his plan? Her life wasn't worth him dying over, or anyone else for that matter.

"EXPLAIN YOURSELF," the Dalek said.

"I said, 'no,'" the Doctor repeated.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS NEGATIVE?" the Dalek asked.

"It means 'no,'" the Doctor said.

"BUT THEY WILL BE DESTROYED," the Dalek said.

"No!" the Doctor said. "'Cos this is what I'm gonna do—I'm gonna rescue them."

Willow felt the fear leave her body as she started to smile at the Doctor, who gave her a return smile quickly. She knew him and Jack must have a plan up their sleeves, or just Jack since the Doctor didn't really plan, per se.

"I'm gonna save Rose and Willow Tyler form the middle of the Dalek Fleet, and then I'm gonna save the Earth, and then, just to finish off, I'm gonna wipe every last _stinking_ Dalek outta the sky!" the Doctor said.

"BUT YOU HAVE NO WEAPONS! NO DEFENSES! NO PLAN!" the Dalek yelled in its mechanical voice.

"Yeah. And doesn't that scare you to death? Rose? Willow?" the Doctor said, looking between the cousins.

"Yes, Doctor?" they both said at the same time, causing Jack to shake his head with a fond smile on his face.

"I'm coming to get both of you," the Doctor said. The communication line closed the image of the Doctor disappeared.

"Hear that, Rosie? It'll be okay. The Doctor's coming to get us," Willow whispered to her blonde cousin, stroking her hair as she held Rose close to her.

"THE DOCTOR IS INITIATING HOSTILE ACTION!" the second Dalek said.

"THE STRATAGEM MUST ADVANCE. BEGIN THE INVASION OF EARTH!" the first one said. The two Daleks started to spin in wild circles. Both Rose and Willow gasped and Willow pulled Rose back, but the Daleks didn't notice them.

"THE DOCTOR WILL BE EXTERMINATED!" a third Dalek said.

"EXTERMINATE!" all the Daleks yelled together.

Willow looked around them as the room lit up as thousands of Daleks yelled, "EXTERMINATE!" at the same time. It was whole army of Daleks just waiting to invade the Earth below them...

TO BE CONTINUED...


	13. The Parting of the Ways

**The Parting of the Ways**

Willow Tyler stood in the corridor of the Dalek ship, shielding Rose from the Daleks that surrounded them, frozen with fear as a Dalek suddenly rounded on them. She unfroze and pushed Rose further into the wall, making sure the blonde was behind her, as far away from the Daleks as possible.

"What d'you want?" Willow asked the Dalek that had rounded on them. She tried to sound tough, but it came out as shaky and scared.

"YOU BOTH KNOW THE DOCTOR! YOU UNDERSTAND HIM! YOU WILL PREDICT HIS ACTIONS!" the Dalek yelled in a metallic voice.

"I don't know!" Rose said her voice also shaky. Willow quietly shushed her cousin, once again hiding her from view, as Rose had stepped forward to speak.

"We don't know what the Doctor's gonna do," Willow said to the Dalek. She then took a half-step back as the Dalek glided closer to her.

"And even if we did, we wouldn't tell ya..." Rose said, trying to be fierce.

"PREDICT! PREDICT! PREDICT!" the Dalek screeched.

"No! No! No!" Willow sassed back at the Dalek and then looked surprised at herself.

"Good one," Rose commented to her cousin, also surprised by Willow's outburst.

"Thanks," Willow whispered back.

"TARDIS DETECTED. IN FLIGHT!" the first Dalek said to the second.

"LAUNCH MISSILES! EXTERMINATE!" the second Dalek screeched out.

"You can't!" Rose yelled out, stepping forward despite Willow throwing out an arm to stop her. "The Tardis hasn't got any defenses—you're gonna kill him!"

"YOU HAVE PREDICTED CORRECTLY," the Dalek said.

Rose clutched at Willow's hand tightly as the red-head hid her cousin from sight again. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if something happened to Rose. That and Jackie would probably kill her.

"Don't worry. The Doctor'll get out of this. He always does," Willow said but Rose didn't answer; she only started trembling in fear. Willow held her breath (clutching Rose's hand in return) as the missiles were launched toward the Tardis. She finally breathed a sigh of relief as she heard the Tardis materializing. She looked around to see where it was, but noticed it starting to materialize around her and Rose, as well as the Dalek that was still near them.

"Rose, Willow! Get down!" the Doctor yelled after the blue box had fully materialized.

Willow instantly grabbed Rose's arm and pulled her to the ground immediately and shielded Rose's head with her body.

"EXTERMINATE!" the Dalek yelled over Willow's head. Willow heard the familiar sound of laser fire from the Dalek, and then she heard the Dalek explode with a scream. Willow made a face of disgust (not that anyone could see it) as bits of Dalek landed on her back and she lifted her head up and saw the Dalek smoking. She slowly got to her feet, brushing off her back with her nose wrinkled up.

"You did it!" Rose yelled, as Willow helped her up off the grated floor. Silence filled the Tardis as the Doctor finally walked over to the girls and wrapped Rose in a hug first.

"Feels like I haven't seen you in years," Rose said, emotion filling her voice.

"Told you I'd come and get the two of you," the Doctor said. He let go of Rose and then pulled Willow into a bone-crushing hug.

"Doctor—can't breathe!" Willow gasped half-jokingly. The Doctor pulled away from her, slightly flushed before giving her a quick kiss, causing _her_ to flush darkly.

"Never doubted it," Rose said, beaming at the Doctor and then Jack, who had fired the gun, effectively killing the Dalek.

"I did!" the Doctor said, looking more at Willow than Rose (he, himself, looking very surprised that he had succeeded). "Are you both all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Willow said, surprised that she was actually fine.

"Yeah. You?" Rose asked.

"Not bad," the Doctor said, turning somber. "Been better!"

He walked over to the smoking Dalek and looked at it. Jack walked over to Rose and Willow, who had sat heavily on the pilot's seat for a moment.

"Hey, don't I get a hug?" he asked, looking between Rose and Willow.

"Ahh, come here!" Rose said, grinning at him.

"I was talking to him," he said, gesturing to the Doctor.

Willow giggled quietly as Jack and Rose threw their arms around each other. She was so tired now, after everything they had been through. She was also full of guilt, sending all those poor women to their deaths in the game. Well, not dead, but yeah, dead. She frowned. It hadn't been a disintegrator beam after all, but a transmat beam. It musta beamed them all onto the Dalek ship, where they had ended up dying by Dalek.

"Welcome home!" Jack exclaimed, glad to see both the girls. They were like sisters to him and he couldn't bear the thought of losing them; he was attached now.

"Oh, I'd thought I'd never see you again," Rose said, happy that they were still alive.

"Oh, you were lucky—I was just a one-shot wonder. Drained the gun of all its power supply. Now it's just a piece of junk," Jack said, staring at the Dalek.

"What about me?" Willow asked with a fake pout, holding out her arms for her 'big brother'.

"Oh, come here, you!" Jack exclaimed with a grin. He hugged Willow tightly and spun her around in a circle. Willow giggled quietly and Rose laughed at the way Jack was acting; it was like watching a little kid.

The Doctor had out his sonic screwdriver and was examining the Dalek carefully, his face blank of emotions. Jack set Willow down and the three of them made their way over to the Doctor, their faces sober now. Willow bent her head over the side of it and looked inside. All of the armor was practically gone, which gave all of them a clear view at the creature inside of it. Willow shuddered at the sight of it, as it looked like a blob.

"You said they were extinct. How come they're still alive?" Rose asked the question that had been on Willow's mind for a while.

"One minute they're the greatest threat in the universe, the next minute they vanished out of time and space," Jack said, telling them what he knew of the Daleks.

"They went off to fight a bigger war...the Time War..." the Doctor said, still examining the Dalek.

"I thought that was just a legend," Jack said, surprised.

"I was there. The war between the Daleks and the Time Lords. With the whole of creation at stake. My people were destroyed, but they took the Daleks with them," the Doctor said. "I almost thought it was worth it. Now it turns out they died for nothing."

"Doctor," Willow whispered, her heart breaking a bit for him. She put a hand on his arm gently in comfort.

"There's thousands of them now. We could hardly stop one. What're we gonna do?" Rose said.

"No good stood round here chin-wagging! Human race, you'd gossip all day. The Daleks have got the answers—let's go and meet the neighbors," the Doctor said in a cheerful tone that Willow knew was fake. He patted Willow's hand in thanks, and then took off down the ramp to the door.

"You can't go out there-!" Rose started to say, as she and Willow knew how many Daleks were out there, but the Doctor had already opened the door and walked out. Willow walked over to the door and popped her head out, along with Jack and Rose, just behind the Doctor. The Daleks were still yelling out, "EXTERMINATE!" but had stopped firing on the Tardis, as it did nothing, thanks to the shield provided by the extrapolator.

The Doctor raised his hands up mockingly and said, "Is that it? Useless! Nul points. It's all right, come on out. That forcefield can hold back anything."

"Almost anything," Jack pointed out.

"...Yes, but I wasn't gonna tell them that. Thanks," the Doctor said sarcastically.

"Sorry," Jack said, then gave Willow a mock-hurt look as she hit him on his arm, a small glare directed in his direction. The Daleks were strangely silent as they examined the group by the Tardis. The Doctor took a step forward and said, "D'you know that they call me in the ancient legends of the Dalek Homeworld? The Oncoming Storm. You might've removed all your emotions...but I reckon that right deep down in your DNA, there's one little spark left. And that's fear."

Willow noticed that all the Daleks' eyestalks twitched; she was sure that it was in fear of the Doctor and she gave a slight smirk.

"Doesn't it just burn when you face me? So, tell me—how did you survive the Time War?" the Doctor asked, as it bothered him, not knowing something.

"They survived through me," a voice sounded. It was deeper than the Daleks around them and it sent shivers of terror through Willow. She clutched at the hand nearest to her, which happened to Jack's. He gave her hand a squeeze and sent her a small smile before turning his attention back towards where the voice came from.

The Doctor whirled around (right after the voice had spoke), a startled look on his face. There, in the back, where they hadn't noticed, was a very large-looking Dalek. The Doctor took a few steps towards the voice, while Willow took a step backwards in fear. The very large Dalek was high above all of them, illuminated in light. The Doctor was staring up at it, mouth open in horror.

"Rose...Willow...Captain...this is the Emperor of the Daleks," the Doctor said, introducing the giant Dalek to them.

"You destroyed us, Doctor," the Emperor Dalek said. "The Dalek Race died in your inferno, but my ship survived, falling through time, crippled but alive."

"I get it," the Doctor said.

"DO NOT INTERRUPT!" the first Dalek said.

"DO NOT INTERRUPT!" the second one said.

"DO NOT INTERRUPT!" the third one repeated.

Willow jumped and blanched at the Daleks' tones, but the Doctor didn't looked bothered, only slightly annoyed.

"I think your forgetting something. I'm the Doctor. And if there's one thing I can do—it's talk. I've got five billion languages, and you haven't got one way of stopping me. So if anybody's gonna shut up, it's YOU!" the Doctor yelled. The Daleks all rolled backwards slightly. The Doctor then turned back to the Emperor Dalek and said, "Okie dokie. So, where were we?"

"We waited here in the dark space, damaged but rebuilding. Centuries passed, and we quietly infiltrated the systems of Earth. Harvesting the waste of humanity. The prisoners, the refugees, the dispossessed—they all came to us. The bodies were filtered, pulped, sifted," the Emperor Dalek said.

Willow felt like she was going to throw up; this was just sick. That must've been where all the people had gone after they disappeared from the games. She had sent all those poor women to their deaths. By Dalek. For the Daleks to consume. That meant that they were half…human.

"The seed of the Human Race is perverted. Only one cell in a billion was fit to be nurtured," the Emperor continued.

"So, you created an army of Daleks out of the dead," the Doctor said, also looking disgusted.

"That makes them...half human," Rose said, realizing the same thing Willow had.

"With human emotions," Willow added, her eyes lighting up in realization.

"Those words are blasphemy!" the Emperor Dalek yelled out.

"DO NOT BLASPHEME!" all the Daleks yelled, startling Willow, who was already a bit skittish. She took a small step back in fear as Jack gave her hand a squeeze. She managed to wipe the fear off her face to appear more tough as she glared at the Daleks in front of them.

"Everything human has been purged. I cultivated pure and blessed Dalek," the Emperor Dalek said.

"Since when did the Daleks have a concept of blasphemy?" the Doctor asked, looking disturbed, as well as surprised.

"I reached into the dirt and made a new life. I am the God of all Daleks!" the Emperor Dalek said.

"WORSHIP HIM! WORSHIP HIM! WORSHIP HIM!" all the Daleks yelled in unison. Willow looked around with wide eyes and clutched at Jack's arm, terrified once again.

"They're insane!" the Doctor said to Rose, Willow, and Jack. "A hundred years hiding in silence—that's enough to drive anyone mad. But it's worse than that. Driven mad by your own flesh. The stink of humanity. You hate your own existence. And that makes them more deadly than ever. We're going."

"You may NOT leave my presence!" the Emperor Dalek yelled out.

The Doctor took Willow's hand from Jack as he went past and led her (and Rose and Jack) into the Tardis, ignoring all the Daleks yelling at them.

"STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" one Dalek yelled.

The Doctor grinned at them mockingly, then closed the Tardis door, right in their faces, metaphorically speaking, of course.

"EXTERMINATE!" the Daleks yelled, trying to shoot at the Tardis unsuccessfully.

Once they were all inside, the Doctor leaned against the door, sadness written all over his face. Willow went up to him and gave him a hug, knowing that he probably needed it. She knew that most people thought that the Doctor could do anything and that he was confident all the time, but Willow started to learn that the sometimes, like now, the Doctor didn't know what to do and was practically helpless. The Doctor hugged her back tightly, grateful that she was there.

"I know you can do it," she whispered in his ear, sending a shiver down his spine. She pulled back and gave him a peck on the lips that he returned with a little more force (desperate force), trapping her against the Tardis door. She moaned, slipping her arms around the Doctor's neck, as he swiped his tongue along her bottom lip, begging for entrance, which she granted to him.

"You know, there's a time and a place. Not that I'm complaining, of course," Jack said, watching the couple snogging on the Tardis door. The couple jumped apart, forgetting that they had company, as well as a job to do.

"Right," the Doctor said, pulling back, his ears red and his lips a little swollen. He beamed at Willow (who was dazed, her lips also swollen) before running over to the console and sending the Tardis back to Floor 500 of Satellite Five.

As soon as the Tardis materialized, the Doctor exited, followed by Willow, Rose, and Jack. Willow followed the Doctor as he went straight for the controls, taking over.

"Turn everything up. All transmissions, wide open, full power. Now! Do it!" the Doctor yelled to the programmers, all of whom looked slightly frightened by this strange man in the leather jacket.

"What does that do?" a male programmer asked in a shaky voice.

"Stops the Daleks from transmitting on board. How did you get on? Did you contact Earth?" the Doctor asked, eyeing the programmer.

"Well, we tried to warn them, but all they did was suspend our license because we stopped the programmes," the male programmer said.

"And the planet's just sitting there, defenseless," the Doctor said. He turned around and noticed a woman in the corner; that woman was Lynda (with a 'y'), whom had been on Big Brother with the Doctor. "Lynda, what're you still doing on board? I told you to evacuate everyone." The Doctor turned on the male programmer with accusation in his eyes.

"She wouldn't go," the male programmer said, putting up his hands in a defensive way.

"Didn't wanna leave ya," Lynda said, smiling shyly at the Doctor. Rose looked over and shook her head as she saw Willow eying this woman that was clearly attached to the Doctor.

"There weren't enough shuttles anyway, or I wouldn't be here...we've got about a hundred people stranded on Floor Zero," the female programmer said, horror in her voice as she did so.

"Oh, my gosh. The Fleet is moving. They're on their way," the male programmer said, looking at the monitor in front of him, eyes wide.

The Doctor started ripping wires out of the desks, armfuls of them everywhere, a plan formed in his mind. Willow, Rose, Lynda, and Jack were watching him, not really sure what to do, or what the Doctor had planned.

"Dalek plan—big mistake," the Doctor said suddenly and quickly, causing Willow to start a bit. "Because what have they left me with? Anyone? Anyone? Oh, come on—it's obvious. A great big transmitter—this situation."

"What-?" Willow said, brows furrowed in confusion, before the Doctor started yammering on again.

"If I can change the signal, fold it back, sequence it—anyone?" the Doctor asked, an eyebrow raised at the humans in front of him.

"You've gotta be kidding," Jack breathed, understanding what the Doctor meant.

"What is it?" Willow asked, looking between the man she loved and the man she considered to be her brother.

"Give the man a medal!" the Doctor shouted.

"A Delta Wave?" Jack asked in awe.

"A Delta Wave!" the Doctor repeated in excitement.

"What's a Delta Wave?" Rose and Willow asked at the same time; Jack shook his head at the scariness of the way they did that.

"A wave of Van Cassadyne energy. Fries your brain—stand in the way of a Delta Wave and your head gets barbequed!" Jack explained to the clueless cousins.

"And this place can transmit a MASSIVE wave! Wipe out the Daleks!" the Doctor said, his excitement spreading.

Rose opened her mouth to say that her and Willow would help him, but the other woman, Lynda (with a 'y'), beat her to it.

"Well, get started and do it then!" she said, grinning at the Doctor, adoration clearly present in her eyes. Willow clamped her mouth shut, teeth snapping together audibly, and turned away from the two as Rose gave her an apologetic look.

"Trouble is, wave this size, building this big, brain as clever as mine, should take about—ooh—three days? How long till the Fleet arrive?" the Doctor asked the male programmer, pointing at him.

"Twenty-two minutes," the male programmer said, checking the computer. The Doctor didn't answer, but instead, pulled another cable out of the desk, almost frantically. He looked at the end of the cable, then beamed up at all of them, not wanting any of them to see how scared he really was.

"We've now got a forcefield so they can't blast us out of the sky," Jack said. Willow stood in front the computer, along with everyone else, minus the Doctor, while Jack explained all of this to them. "But that doesn't stop the Daleks from physically invading."

"Do they know about the Delta Wave?" the male programmer asked.

"They'll have worked it out at the same time. So, if they want to stop the Doctor, that means they've got to get to this level—500," Jack said. "Now, I can concentrate the extrapolator around the top six levels, 500 to 495. So, they'll penetrate the station below that at level 494 and fight their way up."

"Who're they fighting?" the male programmer asked, confused.

"Us," Jack said.

"And...what're we fighting with?" the male programmer asked in a disbelieving tone.

"The guards had guns with bastic bullets—that's enough to blow a Dalek wide open," Jack said.

"There's six of us," the female programmer said skeptically.

"Yeah, but we've got the Doctor," Willow pointed out. "He's brilliant and can get us out of this."

"Rose, you can help me. I need all these wires stripped bare," the Doctor called out. Rose walked over, confused as to why he didn't call Willow over.

"Right! Now there's _five_ of us!" the female programmer scoffed.

"How about you shut your mouth!" Willow snapped, glaring at the woman.

"Then let's move it! Into the lift! Isolate the lift controls!" Jack said after grinning at Willow, proud that she was finally learning how to sass and stand up for people she cared about. The male and female programmers hurried off, leaving Lynda and Willow by themselves. Willow didn't want to talk to Lynda, so she walked over to the Doctor with the blonde following her.

"I—I just wanna say, um...thanks, I s'pose. And...I'll do my best!" Lynda said to the Doctor, smiling at him.

"Me too," the Doctor said, returning her smile.

The Doctor shook her hand somewhat awkwardly, while Rose smirked at Willow, who was glaring at Lynda. Lynda walked off to do her part then, the Doctor watching her go. Rose thought, for a moment, that Willow was going to murder the poor girl, which would've been against everything Willow believed in. Willow then shifted her mood and smiled at Jack as he approached the trio, a sad look in his eyes.

"It's been fun!" Jack said, trying to keep it light, causing the Doctor to smile. "But I guess this is goodbye."

"Don't talk like that. The Doctor's gonna do it. You just watch him," Rose said fiercely

"Rose...You are worth fighting for," Jack said, cupping her face and looking into her eyes. Willow felt tears forming in her eyes as she knew why Jack was saying goodbye; he thought they were all going to die here, or at least, he was. Jack gave Rose a brief kiss on the lips, before turning to Willow, the same sadness etched on his face.

"You are an amazing little sister, Willow. Keep this one in check," Jack said, indicating to the Doctor. He then bent down and gave Willow a small kiss on the lips, ignoring the Doctor's look. He then turned to the Doctor.

"Wish I'd never met you, Doctor!" Jack said, cupping the Doctor's face in his hands. "I was much better off as a coward." He kissed the Doctor the exact same way he had Rose and Willow, not really surprising anybody as he did so. He placed a hand on both Rose's and the Doctor's shoulders. Willow felt tears gathering in her eyes as she looked at the man that had become her adopted older brother.

"See ya in hell," Jack said, before running off. The Doctor, Rose, and Willow all watched him leave, Willow crying silently.

"He's gonna be all right..." Rose said nervously to the Doctor, after Jack had gone. The Doctor just looked at her with no reply. "...isn't he?"

"I'm sure he'll be fine, Rose," Willow said gently, putting a hand on her cousin's shoulder. She knew that this was probably the end for them all (despite having faith in the Doctor to save them; it was Daleks after all) and Jack was probably going to his death. But she had to be strong for Rose, who looked frightened at that moment.

Rose just hung her head, knowing Willow was just trying to make her feel better, and joined the Doctor on the floor, where he had started working again. After taking a moment to wipe the tears from her eyes, Willow joined them, sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"Suppose..." Rose started, but she didn't finish her thought, thinking that it was dumb.

"What?" the Doctor asked after a moment when she didn't finish.

"Nothing," Rose said, shaking her head.

"You said 'suppose,'" the Doctor said, wanting to hear any idea that her or Willow had.

"No, I was just thinking...I mean, obviously you can't, but...you've got a time machine. Why can't you just go back to last week and warn them?" Rose asked.

"Soon as the Tardis lands in that second, I become part of the events. Stuck in the timeline," the Doctor said without looking up.

"Yeah, thought it'd be something like that..." Rose said, continuing with her work. Willow felt her heart drop at Rose's sadness, and gently put a hand on her cousin's arm.

"There's another thing the Tardis could do...it could take us away..." the Doctor said, without looking at the girls. Willow frowned at the thought. Leave all these people to defend themselves? Leave Jack, whom Rose was attached to and whom she thought of as her older brother? If she did that she would have to leave the Doctor and not travel with him any longer. She wouldn't be able to live with the guilt of doing that.

"We could leave. Let history take its course. We go to Marbella in 1989," the Doctor said, continuing to stare at the wires in his hands.

"Yeah, but you'd never do that," Rose said, frowning at the thought.

"No, but you could ask," the Doctor pointed out, knowing that they never would.

"No, we couldn't," Willow whispered, her throat feeling like it was closing up.

"Never even occurred to you two, did it?" the Doctor asked with affection, finally looking up to smile at the two humans that he had come to care about and love.

"Well, we're just too good!" Rose said. The Doctor continued to smile at the two girls, as if they were the whole world to him. The computer suddenly started to whirl in the background, making the Doctor look over at it, alert.

"The Delta Wave's started building. How long does it need?" the Doctor said to himself.

The trio jumped to their feet and ran over to the computers; The Doctor sat in one of the chairs and both girls peered over his shoulders. He pressed a few buttons and started at the monitor. Willow watched as his face fell. Not being able to understand the readings on the monitor, she still knew that it was bad.

"Is that bad?" Rose asked.

The Doctor didn't answer. His head sank to his knees.

"I think it is," Willow said and then she muttered, "Shit."

"Okay, it's bad. How bad is it?" Rose asked, worry in her voice.

The Doctor suddenly perked up and jumped to his feet as an idea hit him.

"Rose and Willow Tyler, you're both GENIUSES!" he said gleefully.

Rose smiled, but Willow kept her face neutral; the Doctor had bounced back way too quickly and she was suspicious of it; something was wrong. The Doctor placed kisses on both the girls' foreheads before gleefully leading them to the Tardis.

"We can do it! If I use the Tardis to cross my old timeline...yes!" the Doctor said.

"But you said it wasn't possible!" Willow called out as she and Rose chased after the Doctor to the Tardis.

"It is now," the Doctor said.

Willow frowned to herself; that didn't make sense to her. How was it impossible one minute, but was suddenly possible the next? Willow cautiously followed the Doctor and Rose over to the console.

"Hold that down and keep position," the Doctor said, a large (and fake) grin on his face. "And when she starts going, press that button, Willow."

"What's it do?" Rose asked, also starting to get suspicious.

"Cancels the buffers and stabilizes her. If I'm very clever—and I'm more than clever, I'm BRILLIANT—I might just save the world. Or rip it apart..." the Doctor said, frowning for a second.

"I'd go for the first one," Rose said, holding the lever down. Willow went over to the button the Doctor had told her to push and positioned her hand over it, trusting the Doctor to do the right thing.

"Me too. Now, I've just got to go and power up the Game Station. Hold on!" the Doctor said, running out of the Tardis.

"Come on, Doctor," Willow whispered to herself, waiting for the Doctor to reappear. Her face fell as the doors slammed shut on their own, the Doctor staying outside. The engines started to groan and the time rotor started to rise and fall as tears began to fall down Willow's face as she realized what the Doctor had done, tricking them like that.

"Doctor, what're you doing? Can I take my hand off? It's moving," Rose yelled in the direction of the doors.

"No!" Willow shouted, forgoing the button to run to the doors, pounding her fists on them.

"What's happening?" Rose asked slowly, though realization suddenly hit her.

"He's made us leave!" Willow cried out, sobbing. Rose abandoned the lever and ran over with her cousin, also beating uselessly on the Tardis doors.

"Doctor, let us out!" Rose shouted.

"Doctor!" Willow shouted. She leaned against the door, sobbing, knowing the Doctor was going to die and there was nothing they could do about it now. He had sent them away so they could live and she didn't think she would ever forgive him for it.

"Let us out! Doctor, what've you done?" Rose asked.

Rose was still pounding on the doors, as Willow slid down it to the floor, crying, when a hologram of the Doctor appeared next to the console, startling the girls.

"This is Emergency Programme One. Rose, Willow, now listen, this is important. If this message is activated, then it can only mean one thing," the hologram Doctor said, making Rose whirl around at the sound of his voice. Willow jerked her head up from her hands and looked at the image of her love sadly.

"Doctor..." Willow whispered, more tears starting to leak from her eyes. She slowly stood up, but was rooted to the spot.

"We must be in danger. And I mean fatal. I'm dead or about to die any second with no chance of escape," the Doctor said.

"No!" Rose shouted, leaping forward. Willow remained frozen with horror in her spot, unable to move at all. He couldn't die….the universe would be lost without him. _She_ would be lost without him. She would have to get another job (the last one being at a local newspaper) and live her mundane life without him.

"And that's okay. Hope it's a good death," the Doctor said. That made Rose freeze at the top of the stairs.

"But I promised to look after both of you, and that's what I'm doing. The Tardis is taking you both home," the Doctor said.

"I won't let you," Rose said, rushing up the remaining steps. Willow seemed like she was in a trance as she took very slow steps up the ramp to the console, finally coming to a stop by Rose. On the outside, she was as still and silent as a statue, but inside, she was yelling and screaming at the Doctor, hurling profanities and curses at him for doing this to her. To _them_.

"And I bet you're both fussing and moaning now—typical. But hold on and just listen a bit more. The Tardis can never return to me. Emergency Programme One means I'm facing an enemy that should never get their hands on this machine. So this is what you should do: let the Tardis die," the Doctor said. Willow's tears came faster now. There was no way she could let this beautiful machine ever die; it was a part of the Doctor, and now a part of her. The Tardis had become her _home_, she loved the blue box.

"Just let this old box gather dust. No one can open it; no one will even notice it. Let it become a strange little thing standing on a street corner. And over the years, the world will move on and the box will be buried. And if you both want to remember me, then you can do one thing. That's all. One thing," the Doctor said. "Have a good life. The both of you. Do that for me, Rose and Willow. Have fantastic lives. And I'm sorry, Willow. I truly am."

The hologram flickered and faded completely and it was then that Willow broke down, sinking to the ground, sobbing, as Rose rushed over to the console. Willow let out a terrible scream of anger and pain, startling Rose. Rose then started to get pissed off at the Doctor.

"You can't do this to us. To Willow. You can't!" Rose raged as she started hitting every button and knob that she could reach on the console. "Take us back! Take us back!"

Nothing worked, though. Finally, the engines stopped and the Tardis stopped shaking. Rose left the console and ran to the doors and rushed outside. Willow stayed at her spot on the floor, still sobbing uncontrollably, already knowing that they were back on Earth in their time and not on Satellite Five. A second later, Rose rushed back inside the Tardis.

"Come on, fly. How do you fly? Come on, HELP ME!" Rose yelled at the Tardis. Nothing happened. "Willow, come on, get up! We need to help him!"

"There's nothing we can do," Willow said, her voice cracking, just giving up. Rose looked at her cousin sadly as she slowly helped Willow up off the grated floor. They put their arms around each other in sadness at their loss of the Doctor. Willow clung to Rose like she did as a child, right after losing her parents. This time, though, there was no physical scar (like the one on her chin). This time, it was an emotional scar that broke Willow's heart into a million pieces.

The pair exited the Tardis, arms around each other, to see Mickey bolting down the street towards them, a happy grin on his face.

"I knew it! I was all the way down Clifton's Parade, and I heard the engines and I thought 'there's only one thing that makes a noise like that.' What is it?" Mickey asked, noticing the girls. They were both crying now and their faces were screwed up in pain and sadness. Willow's face though, he noticed, was totally heart-broken. He knew there was only one person that could help her, so he phoned Jackie to meet them.

Mickey helped the girls off to the chip shop, where they met Jackie. A few pigs were revolving slowly, cooking. Willow and Rose sat on one side of the table, opposite Jackie and Mickey. Jackie and Mickey were eating their chips, but Rose and Willow hadn't touched theirs.

Willow was still crying, but not nearly as hard as before, feeling like she would throw up if she were to eat anything. Rose was just looking out the window, not listening to the conversation, but she held her cousin's hand, knowing that Willow was probably hurting worse than she was. Willow just stared down at the table, tears slowly dropping onto the table, forming a small puddle.

"Oh, girls. Have something to eat..." Jackie finally said, pleading.

"I'm not hungry," Willow choked out, before jumping up and rushing off to the bathroom to be sick. Mickey and Jackie both got ready to jump up and follow after her, but Rose told them to leave her alone, that she needed some time to herself. She, too, was worried about Willow, but she knew form her own breakups (not that this was anything like her own experiences) that Willow just needed time to process everything and cry it out.

"Two hundred thousand years in the future, he's dying, and there's NOTHING we can do," Rose said, resuming looking out the window.

"Well, like you said—two hundred thousand years—it's a way off!" Jackie said, trying to make her feel better.

"But it's not! It's now! That fight is happening right now, and he's fighting for us! For the whole planet, and we're just sitting here, eating chips!" Rose said, angry now.

"Listen to me," Jackie said firmly to Rose.

Rose slowly looked up at Jackie.

"God knows I have hated that man, but right now, I love him—and d'you know why? Because he did the right thing. He sent both of you back to me," Jackie said fiercely, going back to her chips.

"But what do we do every day, mum? What do Willow and I do? Get up—catch the bus—go to work—come back home—eat chips and go to bed? Is that it?" Rose asked, not even wanting to think about going back to her mundane life.

"It's what the rest of us do," Mickey said coldly.

"But I can't!" Rose cried out.

"Neither can I," Willow said quietly, startling everyone as she rejoined them. She had stopped crying, but there were tear-tracks on her face from her tears from her make up running.

"Why, 'cos you're both better than us?" Mickey asked, looking sadly between the girls.

"No, I didn't mean that!" Rose said, trying to calm down.

"I didn't either, Mickey," Willow said, forcing herself not to tear up again. "It's just...that was exciting…that life that the Doctor showed us."

"It was," Rose said nodding in agreement. "It was a better life. And we don't mean all the traveling and...seeing aliens and spaceships and things—that don't matter. The Doctor showed us a better way of living our lives. You know, he showed you, too. That you don't just give up. You don't just let things happen. You make a stand. You say no. You have the guts to do what's right when everyone else just runs away, and we jus can't-"

"We can't just leave him to die," Willow finished for her when Rose broke off, her own face scrunched up in sadness. "That man is amazing. The world would be dead several times over if it wasn't for him. Right now, he's trying to save the lives of hundreds of people. Plus, everyone else in the universe if those things get loose. They would come here and kill all of us. So, we can't just leave him, Mickey, Aunt Jackie. We can't. He means everything to us, and I—I love him."

She broke down in tears again and Rose pulled her cousin to her side, trying to comfort her as best she could. After they left the chips shop, Willow went home with Jackie, but Rose went to the park, with Mickey following her.

Willow sat on the couch as Jackie went about making her tea and gabbing on the phone, as usual. Willow just started straight ahead, not really seeing anything or paying attention to the conversation that Jackie was having.

"Yeah, they're both home. Well, I'll tell them that you said hi, Beth," Jackie was saying, bustling around the kitchen. She brought a mug of tea out and set it in front of Willow, who ignored it.

"There you go, sweetheart," she said kindly, knowing what it was like to be that broken. After all, she had lost Pete nearly twenty years ago.

"I wish mum and dad were here," Willow said absently.

"I know, sweetheart, I know. I miss them, too," Jackie said, hugging her niece close to her. She knew that Amanda would've known the exact thing to say in this instance; that was just the type of person her sister-in-law had been.

"I just—I just need their help on what I should do," Willow said, tearing up again. She was sure to have a headache later from all the crying she had been doing, but she just couldn't help it. She had always been an emotional person, every since her parents had died and even before that.

"I know, but I'm here to help, love," Jackie said, stroking her niece's hair comfortingly.

"I know, and you've always been more like a mum to me than an aunt," Willow said, grateful that someone was there for her. She jumped as her phone suddenly rang in her pocket.

"Hello?" she said, answering it in a dull, flat voice.

"Willow!" Rose said in an excited voice. "You've got to come to the park! It's still here! Bad Wolf! It's everywhere!"

"I'm on my way!" Willow said, jumping up, knowing that those two words meant something if they were still following them around.

"Sorry, Aunt Jackie, I've got to go," she said, picking up her purple pea coat and scarf. She was out the door before Jackie could say anything.

Willow ran the entire way to the park and rounded the corner of the entrance, breathless. She saw Rose looking at some graffiti on a wall at the basketball courts. When Rose saw her, she gestured wildly for her to come over. Willow dashed across the park, knowing that this could be their way of getting back to the Doctor. There on the wall in front of her as she skidded to a stop, were the words, BAD WOLF.

"I thought it was a warning...maybe it's the opposite. Maybe it's a message. The same words written down now and two hundred thousand years in the future. It's a link between me, Willow, and the Doctor! Bad Wolf here...Bad Wolf there!" Rose said, getting excited, explaining to Mickey.

"But if it's a message, what's it saying?" Mickey asked.

"Dunno," Willow said, concentrating on the writing.

"It's telling us we can get back! Rose said, running off with Willow right behind her. "The least we can do is help him escape!"

Willow, letting hope fill her, sprinted ahead of Rose and already had her key out. She unlocked the Tardis and ran inside, Rose on her tail and Mickey behind them.

"All the Tardis needs to do is make a return trip. Just...reverse," Rose said, pointing out the obvious, which they couldn't actually do.

"Yeah, but we still can't do it," Mickey said.

"Yeah, we can," Willow practically snarled at him, letting hope take her over. There was no way she was letting the Doctor die when there was some possible way to save him.

"The Doctor always said the Tardis is telepathic. This thing is alive. It can listen," Rose said.

"And she should listen to us," Willow said. "If she wants to save the Doctor from dying."

"It's not listening now, is it?" Mickey asked.

"We need to get inside it. Last time I saw you, with the Slitheen, this middle bit opened, and there was this light, and the Doctor said it was the heart of the Tardis. If we can open it, I can make contact. I can tell it what to do."

"We need to get into the heart of the Tardis," Willow said, making a plan of her own. She wasn't going to let Rose do this; it would most likely kill her. Instead, she would take the heart of the Tardis into her mind, willing to die for the Doctor, the man she loved.

"Exactly," Rose said. "If we can open it, we can make contact. Willow and I can tell it what to do!"

"Rose..." Mickey said, unsure about all of this.

"Mm?" Rose asked, distractedly, as she pieced together her plan in her mind.

"If you and Willow go back, you're gonna die," Mickey said quietly.

"That's a risk we've gotta take. 'Cos there's nothing left for us here," Rose said.

"Nothing?" Mickey asked sadly.

"No," Rose said finally.

"Nothing for me, either," Willow said, smiling sadly and apologetically at Mickey, her other older brother. She saw everything in her life that had happened up to this point. Really, before she had met the Doctor, she hadn't really had a life. Just working at the newspaper, chips, sleeping, and hanging out with Rose and Mickey; not much of a life.

"Okay, if that's what you both think...let's get this thing open," Mickey said, his voice sad.

First, Rose and Willow had tried every knob, button, switch, and odds and ends on the console to see it that would open it. Nothing worked. Mickey then came up with the idea of hooking his Volkswagen Beetle up to the console.

Once the console was chained to the back of the Beetle, Mickey started up the engine. Rose and Willow both stood by the console. Willow had her fingers crossed in hope, waiting with baited breath.

"Faster!" Rose shouted. Willow looked out the doors but couldn't see anything outside of the Tardis, save smoke from Mickey's tires.

"It's not moving!" Rose cried out in frustration.

Willow dropped to the grated floor suddenly as the chain shuddered and snapped. Rose gave a yell in frustration, then kicked the console. Willow picked herself up off the floor, refusing to give in just like that.

"Why don't we try something different?" Willow asked frantically, ready to pull at her hair.

"There is nothing else, Willow! Nothing!" Rose shouted at Willow. Willow glared at her cousin and put her hands on her hips.

"Alright, then!" Willow snarled back. "Just give up!"

"I will!" Rose shouted, sitting down in one of the chairs by the console. Willow sat opposite her in another chair, refusing to say a word to her cousin. They both sat like that until Mickey had gotten Jackie to try and fix things.

"It was never gonna work, sweethearts. And the Doctor knew that. He just wanted you both to be safe," Jackie said, looking between her daughter and her niece.

"We can't give up," Rose said sadly, tears in her eyes.

"Oh, now it's we again?" Willow asked bitterly, glaring at her cousin.

"Lock the door. Walk away," Jackie said urged them. This was no life for them, sitting here in misery, uselessly hoping for the Doctor to come back.

"Dad wouldn't give up. And neither would Uncle Robert," Rose said, looking at her cousin, forgiving her, and vice versa.

"Well, they're not here, are they?" Jackie asked in frustration. Rose and Willow just looked at her for a moment, Willow shaking her head at her aunt.

"And even if they were, they'd say the same," Jackie insisted.

"No, they wouldn't," Rose said. "Dad would tell me to try anything. If I could save the Doctor's life...try anything."

"And Dad would say the same thing," Willow said, smiling sadly as she remembered her dad.

"We'll we're never gonna know," Jackie said.

"Well, I know. 'Cos I met him. I met Dad," Rose said.

"And I saw my Dad, too," Willow said quietly and Rose gave her a confused look; Willow hadn't told Rose that before, which she could understand.

"Don't be ridiculous," Jackie scoffed at both the girls. Willow stood up and went round to sit by Rose, putting an arm around her in comfort.

"The Doctor took us back in time, and I met Dad," Rose said.

"Don't say that," Jackie said, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"Remember when Dad died...? There was someone with him," Rose said, her voice cracking. "A girl. A blonde girl. She held his hand...You saw her from a distance, mum! You saw her! Think about it! That was me. You saw me-" Rose said.

"Stop it," Jackie finally said, hurt written all over her face.

"That's how good the Doctor is-" Rose started to say.

"Stop it! Just stop it!" Jackie shouted, running from the Tardis, sobbing. Willow hugged Rose as she broke down, crying.

"I just saw Jackie leaving. Everything alright?" Mickey asked, noticing Willow hugging a crying Rose.

"Fine, Mickey," Willow said, crewing on her lip. She let go of Rose as she went outside the Tardis to talk to Mickey, but Willow stayed inside, staring uselessly at the time rotor, knowing that there was nothing she could do; the Doctor was going to die.

"We could save him," she whispered to the Tardis in a final act of desperation. "You could help us. He doesn't have to die."

She received no sound in return and when she heard a loud noise, she sighed before she ran outside. Willow clapped with joy as she saw Jackie driving up in a huge, yellow tow truck. She stopped the truck and climbed out.

"Right. You've only got this until six o' clock, so get on with it," Jackie said, walking over to them. Willow ran to her and embraced her tightly.

"Mum, where the hell did you get that from?" Rose asked in astonishment as Willow pulled back to look at Jackie in amusement.

"Rodrigo. He owes me a favor. Never mind why, but you were right about your dad, sweetheart. He was full of mad ideas, and this is exactly what he would've done. Now, get on with it before I change my mind," Jackie said. She tossed the keys to Mickey. Rose and Willow ran back into the Tardis, their hope renewed.

Willow made sure she was standing by the Tardis console (so she would absorb the heart of the Tardis instead of Rose), which had been hooked up to the tow truck, and was yelling out to Rose, who was standing just inside the Tardis doors, who was yelling to Jackie, who was yelling to Mickey, who was driving the tow truck. All in all, it was a nice little chain that they had going.

"Keep going!" Willow shouted out as the Tardis console started to creak in protest at being torn apart.

"Keep going!" she heard Rose relay to Jackie and then to Mickey.

"Put your foot down!" Jackie yelled to Mickey, making Willow give a small laugh in amusement.

"Faster!" Willow yelled, eyeing the console, which had started creaking even louder.

"Give it some more, Mickey!" Jackie shouted.

"Keep going!" Willow shouted excitedly as the metal started creaking even more. "Come on!" Willow shouted. "Almost there!"

Finally, the panel pulled away from the console, letting a blinding white light out, mesmerizing Willow as she stared at it. She could hear the Tardis inside her head, begging her to stop, but this was the only way to save her Doctor, the Tardis' thief. She could feel the power, pouring into her mind and it hurt. It was so incredibly painful, but liberating at the same time. She understood everything now; she was Bad Wolf, Bad Wolf was her. This was a fixed point in time; it was always supposed to happen.

Willow was only semi-aware of what was going on around her. She held out her hand and the Tardis doors closed, startling Rose. Willow touched the console with a golden-glowing hand and the engines started up and the time rotor started to rise and fall. Rose had to cover her eyes, the light was so bright. It lit up the whole room and the windows of the Tardis, causing Rose to let out a scream as it startled her.

Willow, or Bad Wolf, seemed to notice Rose at that moment. She pointed her finger at Rose, her eyes glowing brighter, but nothing seemed to happen. Then, all of a sudden, Rose slumped over, appearing to be in a deep sleep. Bad Wolf made sure that the yellow girl was comfortable on the pilot seat before turning her attention back to the console. The gold light of the time vortex was streaming from her eyes and a breeze seemed to be going through the Tardis, ruffling up her wildly curly red hair.

She was aware that the Tardis landed, but barely felt it, walking over to the doors, pausing for a moment to brush the hair back from Rose's face gently, as a mother might. She stood in front of the Tardis doors and lifted her hand, causing the doors burst open. She didn't seem to be aware of the blindingly golden light all around her as she stepped forward out of the Tardis, still in her trance. The Doctor stumbled backwards and fell to the ground, horror written all over his face.

"What've you done?" the Doctor asked, his eyes wide in fear, knowing that Willow was going to die.

Willow looked down at her Doctor, her eyes returning to their normal green colour. She knew, somewhere in her hypnotized head, that she had to save this man, that she loved him. The Doctor was important and the reason Bad Wolf was created in the first place. She had to save him. _Save the Doctor!_ a voice inside her mind screamed at her. The Doctor was staring up at her, scared. When she spoke, he didn't recognize her voice, as it had a metallic sound to it.

"I looked into the TARDIS. And she looked into me," Willow said to _her_ Doctor.

"You looked into the Time Vortex—Willow, no one's meant to see that," the Doctor said, horror evident in his voice. He had to save her somehow. He had to save Willow from a painful death.

"This is the abomination!" the Emperor Dalek yelled from on board his ship. The Dalek Emperor was still on screen, having been interrupted from killing the Doctor by the red girl.

"EXTERMINATE!" a Dalek screamed out, firing his laser at Willow, who held up her glowing gold hand. Her eyes glowed an even brighter gold as the laser beam froze in mid-air, then reversed back into the gun it came from. The Doctor looked up at Willow, amazed and horrified at the same time.

"I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself. I take the words..." Willow said, gesturing to the wall that said 'BAD WOLF CORPORATION.' Willow waved her hand to the words and her hand glowed gold once more. "I scatter them in time and space," she said as the words 'BAD WOLF' rose from the wall and disappeared.

"A message to lead myself and Rose here," Willow said, tears starting to trail down her cheeks from the pain that was bursting in her head. This pain, however, was nothing compared to the broken heart she had been suffering from at the thought of her Doctor dying.

"Willow, you've got to stop this. You've got to stop this now," the Doctor said urgently, but Willow was staring straight ahead, as if she couldn't hear him, glaring at the Daleks that would kill her Doctor. "You've got the entire vortex running through your head. You're gonna burn," the Doctor tried to persuade her again.

"I want you safe, my Doctor," Willow said, looking at him, her eyes turning green once again. The Doctor looked taken aback at her statement. He noticed the traces of tears going down her face, something Willow couldn't feel; only the pain in her head.

"My Doctor. Protected from these monsters," Willow said, once again looking at the Daleks, her eyes glowing gold.

"You cannot hurt me. I am immortal," the Emperor Dalek screeched.

"You are tiny. I can see the whole of time and space—every single atom of your existence, and I divide them," Willow sneered at the Emperor. She raised her glowing hand towards the Daleks and one of them was disintegrated into gold liquid-like pieces.

"Everything must come to dust...all things. Everything dies," Willow said, looking up. All the Dalek that lined the side of the room were reduced to the gold particles. "The Time War ends."

"I will not die. I cannot die!" the Emperor Dalek said, fear in his voice, but it did him no good. Outside in space, the entire Dalek mother ship was reduced to gold particles, just like the Dalek had been, leaving nothing but empty space.

Willow still stood there with her arms raised in front of her, staring straight ahead, as if daydreaming. But she was shaking. Her arms slowly fell to her sides, her fists clenched against the pain that she felt in her head. It had been building up, gradually getting worse.

"Willow, you've done it. Now stop. Just let go," the Doctor pleaded.

"How can I let go of this? I bring life..." she said in a blissful voice, her eyes glowing. In her mind, she found Jack, her brother, lying dead in a corridor on Floor 500. Jack suddenly gasped in a lungful of air, his chest heaving at the effort, before looking confused at his being alive.

"But this is wrong! You can't control life and death!" the Doctor said, terrified.

"But I can. The sun and the moon...the day and night," Willow said, looking at him, pain in her eyes. Her voice started to tremble as she asked, "But why do they hurt...?"

"The power's gonna kill you and it's my fault," the Doctor said, lowering his head in shame.

"I can see everything," Willow said, touching her Doctor's face gently. "It's not your fault, my Doctor. I chose this to save you. To keep you safe."

The Doctor raised his head, knowing what he had to do know to save the woman he loved from inevitable death.

"I can see all that is...all that was...all that ever could be," she said, searching through time itself.

The Doctor stood up and looked down at her suddenly, his eyes wide.

"That's what I see. All the time. And doesn't it driver you mad?" the Doctor asked, taking her hands in his.

"My head..." Willow said in a scared voice, tears pouring down her face from the pain.

"Come here," the Doctor said, taking her in his arms.

"...it hurts so bad..." she whimpered out in pain.

"I think you need a Doctor," the Doctor said, taking her hands in his. The Doctor looked into her eyes, then gently lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers, gently, in a final kiss. As he kissed her, the Time Vortex went from her eyes and mouth and into his. The Doctor and Willow looked at each other for a moment after they parted, before Willow fell unconscious suddenly. The Doctor caught her, then set her down gently on the floor, knowing she wouldn't wake up for a while.

He exhaled the Time Vortex from his mouth and it streamed back through the doors of the Tardis. It floated safely past Rose, who was still asleep and the doors of the Tardis shut quietly, as if nothing had happened.

The Doctor opened his eyes and smiled, stumbling back a step; it was starting already, he could feel it. He knelt down and started stroking Willow's face and neck tenderly. He gently picked her up and carried her into the Tardis. He placed her on the floor, just below her blonde cousin, before walking over to the console. The Tardis started to fade from Satellite Five, the engines groaning as the time rotor rose and fell.

Willow groaned as she slowly started to wake up, very disoriented. She didn't recall anything that had happened and wondered why she was lying on the Tardis floor.

"What happened?" she asked, looking around. She spotted Rose above her, still asleep on the pilot's chair.

"Don't you remember?" the Doctor asked, acting like he was surprised. He knew that she wasn't gonna remember anything that had happened, he had made sure of it.

"Not really," Willow said, sitting up, and frowning in confusion. "I think I remember...singing?"

That's right! I sang a song and the Daleks ran away!" the Doctor said cheerfully, but Willow could tell something was wrong with him; it was a fake cheerfulness that he was showing.

"I was at home with Rose...no, we weren't. I was in the Tardis, and...I can't remember anything," Willow said, frowning as Rose started to stir.

"Rose!" she cried, scrambling to her knees to kneel by Rose's head. Rose woke up then, looking around, then she slowly sat up.

"What happened?" she asked, looking at her cousin. "I remember the console opening, then nothing."

Willow was still kneeling next her, shaking her head, trying to remember what happened. The Doctor watched her, smiling, knowing she would probably never remember. What Rose and the Doctor didn't know, thought, and Willow would never tell them, was that she did remember. Parts and pieces at least. She could remember the pain, and the golden light, as well as the Doctor kissing her.

"Willow and Rose Tyler. I was gonna take you to so many places. Barcelona—not the city- Barcelona, the planet. You'd both love it. Fantastic place—they've got dogs with no noses," the Doctor said, laughing at his own joke.

Willow looked confused at his words. He was saying 'was', not 'are.' Rose giggled at him, rolling her eyes, thinking that he had changed his mind or something funny, but Willow knew it was something different; he was acting strange.

"Imagine how many times a day you end up telling that joke, and it's still funny!" the Doctor said, grinning, though there was pain in his eyes.

"Then, why can't we go?" Rose asked, furrowing her brows in confusion.

"Maybe you both will. And maybe I will. But not like this," the Doctor said, cryptically.

"What do you mean?" Willow asked, finally getting to her feet shakily. The Doctor didn't answer, but instead went back to looking at the monitor, with a small, but knowing, smile on his face.

"You're not making sense!" Rose huffed, also standing up.

"I might never make sense again! I might have two heads. Or no head!" the Doctor said, laughing, though it was forced.

"What are you talking about?" Willow asked worriedly, knowing something was going on. She put her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes at him, wanting answers.

"Imagine me with no head! And don't say that's an improvement..." the Doctor said, pointing between the girls, who had no idea what he was going on about.

"Doctor, what're you saying?" Willow asked, starting to get scared now.

"But it's a bit dodgy, this process. You never know what you're gonna end up with-" the Doctor said as he suddenly propelled backwards in pain, golden light surrounding him. He clutched his stomach, as if he had been hit. Rose and Willow both rushed forward, concerned.

"Doctor!" Willow cried out for the man she loved.

"Stay away!" the Doctor said urgently, waving them back. The redhead and blonde stopped in their tracks, staring at him. The Doctor winced, both from pain and the terrified look on Willow's face.

"Doctor, tell us what's going on," Rose said, now properly scared as well.

"I absorbed all the energy of the Time Vortex, and no one's meant to do that!" the Doctor said, trying to keep his tone light. "Every cell in my body's dying."

"Doctor…" Willow said in concern, knowing that he had absorbed the Time Vortex from her. It was the same golden light that she remembered flowing into her body.

"Can't you do something?" Rose asked, her voice shaky.

"Yeah, I'm doing it now! Time Lords have this little trick, it's...sort of a way of cheating death. Except...it means I'm gonna change," the Doctor said, looking in Willow's eyes. He could see the confusion in her eyes, not understanding what he was saying. He knew that he should've explained this process to them long ago, but could never bring himself to actually do it. "And I'm not gonna see you both again. Not like this. Not with this daft old face," the Doctor said, laughing. "And before I go..."

"Doctor!" Willow whispered out, crying once again.

"Don't say that," Rose said sharply, seeing how upset her cousin was. She, herself, was upset, as he was like family to her.

"Willow...Rose..." the Doctor said. "Before I go, I just wanna tell you both, you were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic."

Willow was staring at him, still highly confused and upset. What was happening? What was he saying? That he was leaving them? She wanted to scream out in frustration and pull her hair, she was so confused.

"And d'you know what?" the Doctor asked.

"What?" Willow asked him back, her voice cracking and breaking from her tears.

The Doctor grinned at her and said, "So was I."

Willow let a small smile form on her face, unable to keep it back. The Doctor smiled at both of them for a few moments before he almost literally exploded with orange energy coming from his skin. It was coming from everywhere skin was, under his jumper, the bottom of his trousers, his hands, his head, and neck.

Willow staggered backwards, shielding her eyes from the bright light and heat that was radiating from the Doctor. She couldn't bring herself to look away, though, too mesmerized by what was happening, even if it broke her heart. Before her eyes, her Doctor was changing into a different person. His hair got longer, and his whole face was changing.

The energy went away and then there was a whole new man standing in front of them, still wearing the Doctor's old clothes, even the leather jacket. The man looked surprised for a moment, then turned looked at Rose and Willow. He was super thin and had brown hair that seemed to stick up all over the place, as well as side-burns.

"Hello! Okay—oo," the man said, and then he gulped, running his tongue over his teeth. "New teeth. That's weird. So, where was I? Oh, that's right! Barcelona!"

Willow was staring at the man with wide, frightened eyes, like he was nutter. He couldn't be the Doctor, could he? Rose was also staring at he man in shock. He didn't seem to register their stares; he just grinned manically.


	14. The Christmas Invasion

**Hullo, people! Back with The Christmas Invasion! So, I found the Mini Adventure, Children In Need, and decided to add it in, since it takes place in between The Parting of the Ways and The Christmas Invasion. Just bought the first season of Doctor Who! So excited! First anything besides T-shirt and TARDIS keyring that I've owned of Doctor Who! Gotta love Christopher Eccleston! **

**Grapejuice101: Thanks for the review! I'm glad I made Clara the Bad Wolf, too. I hope you like this chapter!**

**Snowy702: Thanks again for the review! I think this might become a regular thing! ;) I can't wait to do ten's episodes, too!**

**Rosalie Jade Riddle: Haha, I would definitely take ten to the alter (wink wink) if I wasn't already getting married! And thanks! I haven't read many stories like mine, so that means a lot! Hope you enjoy this next one!**

**Animemonkey13: thanks, I would definitely not end my story. I just don't want to make a sequel. Too much work to make a whole new story. Enjoy ten! ;)**

**Sashaxh: I just had to add your name to my dictionary :) And, yup, it's ten! Possibly one of my favorite Doctors! Hope you like him in the Christmas Invasion! **

**Wolf von der nordlichen Sterne: Thanks for adding me to your Story alerts!**

**Fionn Rose: Thanks for adding me to your author alerts! I may plan on doing a story on the television series, _The Office_. **

Rose and Clara Tyler just stared at the man in confusion as he jumped up and ran to the console, flicking a few buttons and knobs.

"6 PM...Tuesday..." he said to himself. Clara just stared in confusion. Where was the Doctor? How did this man get in? There was no way _he_ was the Doctor.

"October...5006...on the way to Barcelona!" the man said. He turned to face the girls, grinning. "Now then...what do I look like? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. No. Don't tell me."

Clara looked at him with wide eyes and Rose looked slightly bemused.

"Let's see...two legs, two arms, two hands...Slight weakness in the dorsal tubercle. HAIR! I'm not bald!" he said, his hands going to his head.

Clara was shocked by this. What was he doing? And better yet, who was he? The man was positively gleeful.

"Oh—Oh! Big hair! Sideburns—I've got sideburns! Or really bad skin. Little bit thinner...That's weird. Give me time, I'll get used to it. I...have got...a mole. I can feel it," he said.

Clara edged closer to Rose, and grabbed her arm, scared. She could hear Rose breathing heavily. The man didn't seem to notice them.

"Between my shoulder blades, there's a mole. That's all right. Love the mole," he said. He grinned at Rose and Clara. "Go on then, tell me. What do you think?"

"Who are you?" Rose asked.

"I'm the Doctor," he said, looking crestfallen.

"No, you're not," Clara said.

Rose shook her head. "No...where is he? Where's the Doctor? What have you done to him?"

"You both saw me, I—I changed...right in front of you," he said, indicating to the spot where he regenerated.

"We saw him sort of explode, and then you replaced him, like a...a teleport or a transmat or a body swap or something," Rose said.

The man seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Rose, don't," Clara said, but Rose walked forward and poked the man in the chest.

"You're not fooling me," Rose said. The man rocked back on his heels, as if he can't believe it.

"Clara and I've seen all sorts of things. Nanogenes...Gelth...Slitheen..." Rose said. The man raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, my gosh, are you a Slitheen?" Rose asked.

"I'm not a Slitheen," the 'Doctor' said calmly.

"Send him back. I'm warning you, send the Doctor back right now!" Rose shouted.

"Rose, Clara, it's me," the man said. Clara stepped forward to look at the man. He _was_ quite good-looking. That was one of the first things she noticed. The other, was his eyes, which looked incredibly old. She opened her mouth.

"Honestly, it's me," the Doctor said. Rose just stared at him. Clara just stood there, gaping like a fish.

"I was dying. To save my own life I changed my body. Every single cell, but..it's still me," the Doctor said.

"You can't be," Rose said.

The Doctor looked at Clara, then stepped closer to Rose.

"Then how could I remember this? Very first word I ever said to you. Trapped in that cellar. Surrounded by shop window dummies...oh...such a long time ago. I took your hand..." the Doctor said, taking Rose's hand to emphasize his point. Rose looked down at their hands, then at Clara, then back up at the Doctor's face.

"I said one word...just one word, I said...'run,'" he said.

"Doctor," Rose whispered, her eyes full of tears.

"Hello," he said gently, grinning.

Rose stumbled backwards, as everything hit her. The Doctor just went round the other side of the console.

"And we never stopped, did we? All across the universe. Running, running, running...One time we had to hop. Do you remember? Hopping for our lives," the Doctor said, hoping up and down on the spot.

Clara walked over to him. She gently put a hand on his cheek, looking into his eyes.

"Is it really you?" she whispered.

"Yes, it is," he whispered back. Rose had her back against a pillar, watching the two of them.

"Right, then. All that hopping? Remember hopping for your lives? Yeah? Hop? With the...no?" he asked at the lack of Rose's enthusiasm.

"Can you change back?" Rose asked.

"Do you both want me to?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah," Rose said.

"Oh," the Doctor said.

"I don't really care," Clara said. "It's just a lot to take in."

"Can you? Change back?" Rose asked.

"No," the Doctor said. "Do either of you want to leave?"

"NO!" Clara shouted quickly, then blushed.

"Do you want us to leave?" Rose asked.

"No! But...your choice...if either of you want to go home..." the Doctor said quickly.

Rose still looked upset. Clara gently put an arm on the Doctor's jacket.

"Cancel Barcelona. Change to...London...the Powell Estate...ah...let's say the 24th of December. Consider it a Christmas present," he said, looking at the girls. Rose was slowly edging closer to Clara.

"There," the Doctor said. He stepped back from the girls, arms crossed under his armpits. Rose and Clara looked at him, then Rose looked away to the console. The TARDIS shuddered.

"We're going home?" Rose asked.

"Up to both of you. Back to your mum...it's all waiting. Fish and chips, sausage and mash, beans on toast—no, Christmas! Turkey! Although...having met your mother...nut loaf would be more appropriate," the Doctor said.

Rose looked down to hide her smile. Clara didn't bother to hide her's. That sounded like Jackie, all right.

"Was that a smile?" the Doctor asked.

"No," Rose said.

"That was a smile..." the Doctor said.

"No it wasn't," Rose said.

"You smiled..." the Doctor said, teasing her.

"No, I didn't," Rose said.

"Oh, come on, all I did was change, I didn't-" the Doctor said, then gagged as the TARDIS shuddered. Clara looked at him, concerned.

"What?" Rose asked questioningly.

"I said I didn't-" the Doctor said, but the same thing happened again. This time, he started retching.

"Uh, oh," the Doctor said.

"Er...are you alright?" Rose asked.

"Of course he's not, Rose!" Clara said.

A piece of golden time Vortex came out of the Doctor's mouth.

"What's that?" Rose asked.

"Oh...the change is going a bit wrong and all," the Doctor said. He gagged again and fell to his knees. Clara rushed to his side and knelt beside him. She put a hand on his back.

"Look...maybe we should go back. Let's go and find Captain Jack, he'd know what to do," Rose said.

"Gah, he's busy! He's got plenty to do rebuilding the Earth!" the Doctor said, impatiently. "I haven't used this one in years." He flicked a switch. The TARDIS shuddered violently and the Doctor and Rose nearly were nearly knocked to their feet. Clara, however, wasn't so lucky. She fell straight on her rear.

"What're you doing?" Rose asked.

"Putting on a bit of speed! That's it!" the Doctor said. Clara grabbed onto the console and tried to pull herself up. It was hard work, but she succeeded.

"My beautiful ship! Come on, faster! That's a girl!" the Doctor yelled.

Clara and Rose both looked at each other, alarmed. The Doctor was looking and sounding crazy.

"Faster! Wanna break the time limit?" the Doctor said.

"Stop it!" Rose shouted, sounding angry and scared.

"Ah, don't be so dull—let's have a bit of fun! Let's rip through that vortex!" the Doctor said. He looked at both of them and his voice calmed for a moment. "The regeneration's going wrong. I can't stop myself. Ah, my head..."

He jumped up again in a standing position and his voice was crazed again.

"Faster! Let's open those engines!" the Doctor yelled. A bell rang.

"What's that?" Rose asked, looking around, frightened. The Doctor appeared in between the girls.

"We're going to crash!" the Doctor said, sounding delighted with that. He laughed manically.

"Well, then, do something!" Rose shouted.

"Too late! Out of control! Oh, I love it! Hot dawg!" the Doctor yelled, giggling and running around the console excitedly.

"You're gonna kill us!" Rose yelled.

"Doctor!" Clara shouted.

"Hold on tight, here we go!" he yelled. He looked at both the girls over the console. He was grinning madly, not really registering the frightened looks on both of their faces.

"Christmas Eve...!" he yelled.

Clara screamed as the TARDIS hurled towards the ground. She was knocked to the ground as the TARDIS hit something. She grabbed onto the console as the TARDIS finally landed. The Doctor was the first one out of the TARDIS. He threw the doors wide open and said, "Here we are, then! London! Earth! The Solar System! We did it!"

Then he was out of the TARDIS. Rose and Clara picked themselves up off the floor and looked at each other, scared.

"What was that?" Rose asked.

"I don't know, but we'd better make sure he's okay," Clara said. Clara exited the TARDIS with Rose right behind her. Mickey and Jackie were standing by the Doctor, who was unconscious on the ground.

"What happened? Is he all right?" Rose asked.

"I don't know, he just keeled over!" Mickey said. "But who is he? Where's the Doctor?"

"That's him. Right in front of you. That's the Doctor," Rose said.

"What d'you mean, "that's the Doctor?" Doctor who?" Jackie asked.

"He is the Doctor," Clara said.

Mickey, Rose, and Clara all helped carry the Doctor back to their flat, with Jackie giving directions and putting in comments here and there. Once he was in the flat, Jackie ran off to get something. She came back holding a pair of stripy pajamas. Clara blushed as her and Rose helped change the Doctor into them.

Clara sat on the edge of the bed, brushing the Doctor's hair back from his face. Rose was sitting in a chair beside the bed. Jackie walked in, carrying a stethoscope.

She handed it to Clara and said, "Here we go. Tina the Cleaner's got this lodger medical student. And she was fast asleep, so I just took it."

Jackie sat on the bed beside Clara and looked between the red-head and her blonde daughter. Clara put the stethoscope in her ears.

"Though, I still say we should take him to a hospital," Jackie said.

"We can't," Rose said. "They'd lock him up. They'd dissect him. One bottle of his blood could change the future of the human race."

Jackie opened her mouth to say something.

"No! Shush!" Rose said. "Clara's trying to listen, mum!"

Jackie shut up and Clara placed the stethoscope on one side of the Doctor's chest. She heard a steady heartbeat. Then, she placed it on the other side of his chest and heard another steady heartbeat.

"Both working?" Rose asked.

"Yup. Both're working just fine," Clara said, taking the stethoscope out of her ears.

"What d'you mean, 'both'?" Jackie asked.

"Well, he's got two hearts," Rose said.

"Oh, don't be stupid," Jackie said contemptuously.

"He has!" Rose said, getting out of the chair and went to the door.

"Anything else he's got two of?" Jackie asked.

Clara made a gross face.

"Leave him alone!" Rose said, turning back to Jackie. Rose left and Jackie looked at Clara and the Doctor before leaving as well. Clara sat there and watched as a golden wisp of the Time Vortex came out of his mouth and flew out the window.

Clara continued running her fingers through the Doctor's hair.

"You've got hair, now, Doctor. Bet you're not used to that. _I'm_ not used to that. And your ears are not so big. You look so different, but I know you're the same Doctor. You know how I knew? You're eyes. You look so young, but they look so old," Clara said, talking to him.

A while later, Rose popped her head in.

"Oi! Mickey and I are going out shopping. It _is_ Christmas Eve, after all," Rose said. "Oh, and Harriet Jones is Prime Minister!"

"Alright, I'll see you later, then. I'm just gonna stay here with him," Clara said.

She heard Jackie out there gabbing on the phone, as usual.

"They turn up—no warning. I've got nothing in. I said, 'Rose, Clara—if you want a Christmas dinner of meat paste, then so be it.'"

Clara gave a small laugh at that. Jackie wandered into the room with two mugs of tea, one for her, one for Clara.

"Oh, no. Don't come round, darling. No, flat's all topsy-turvy," Jackie said. She set the other mug of tea down by the Doctor's bedside. "Yeah, they just barged in and littered the place. Yeah, no—I'll come round and see you on Boxing Day."

Clara snorted and gave her aunt a look. Jackie left the room and more of the vortex left the Doctor's mouth.

"Poor Doctor," she whispered, stroking his hair again.

A few moments later, Rose burst into the flat.

"Get off the phone!" Clara heard Rose say.

"It's only Bev! She says hello," Jackie said.

Clara got up and left the room. She leaned against the doorway and watched Rose take the phone off of Jackie.

"Bev? Yeah—look, it'll have to wait," Rose said, then hung up the phone. "Right, it's not safe, we've gotta get out—where can we go?"

"My mate Stan, he'll put us up," Mickey said.

"That's only two streets away," Rose said. "What about Mo? Where's she living now?"

"I dunno! Peak District!" Jackie said.

"Oh, we'll go to Cousin Mo's then," Rose said.

"It's Christmas Eve! We're not going anywhere! What're you babbling about?" Jackie asked.

"Mum..." Rose said, then stopped. She noticed a tree in the corner of the room.

"That wasn't there before," Clara said. She had noticed Jackie putting up a white tree earlier.

"Where'd you get that tree?" Rose asked. "That's a new tree. Where'd you get it?"

"Well, I thought it was you!" Jackie said.

"How can it be me?" Rose asked.

"Well, you went shopping, there was a ring at the door, and there it was!" Jackie said.

"No, that wasn't me," Rose said.

"Then who was it...?" Jackie asked.

"Wasn't me," Clara said. "I never left the Doctor."

They all stared at the tree. Rose and Clara both pulled Jackie behind them as the tree lit up.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me," Rose said.

The tree started to spin, starting out slow, then speeding up. Jackie screamed. The tree stared to play 'Jingle Bells,' as if to make the mood lighter or something. It hit the coffee table in living room and reduced it to splinters in seconds.

Rose and Jackie took off out of the room, but Mickey and Clara both picked up chairs and held them in front of themselves.

"We've got to save the Doctor!" Rose yelled.

"What're you doing?" Jackie shrieked.

"We can't just leave him!" Rose said.

"Mickey! Clara!" Jackie yelled.

"Get the Doctor out!" Clara yelled, as the tree started to break the legs off of hers and Mickey's chairs.

"Leave it! Get out! Get out!" Jackie yelled. Mickey and Clara still stood there.

"Mickey! Clara! Get out of there!" Jackie yelled. Mickey and Clara both gave up. Clara threw her chair at the tree, hoping to slow it down.

She ran into the bedroom they were keeping the Doctor in.

"Just leave him!" Jackie shouted.

"Get in here!" Mickey said. Once Jackie was in, he slammed the door shut. Clara helped Jackie and Mickey slid the wardrobe in front of the door.

"Doctor, wake up!" Rose shouted.

"Give him his sonic screwdriver!" Clara shouted, trying to help hold the door shut. Rose took the sonic screwdriver out of the Doctor's pocket and put it in his hand. Nothing happened.

Clara lurched forward as the tree hit the door and wardrobe.

"Rose!" Clara yelled out. The Christmas tree finally burst through. Mickey, Jackie, and Clara were all thrown backwards.

"I'm gonna get killed by a Christmas tree!" Jackie shrieked cowering against the wall. Clara ran to the other side of the bed, and leaned down.

"Help me, Doctor," she whispered in his ear.

She jerked back as the Doctor suddenly sat up and pointed his sonic screwdriver at the tree. It exploded. The Doctor lowered his sonic screwdriver.

"Remote control. But who's controlling it?" the Doctor said.

Clara handed a blue dressing gown to the Doctor with a smile. He returned it, smiling back at her. He went out onto the balcony, tying the dressing gown shut. Rose, Clara, Jackie, and Mickey all followed him outside.

Outside, below the balcony, stood three Santas.

"That's them. What are they?" Mickey asked.

"Shush!" Rose said. Clara and Rose both looked at the Doctor, who raised his sonic screwdriver. He pointed it at the Santas in a threateningly manner. They all backed away, standing closer to each other, then they teleported themselves away.

"They've just gone! What kind of rubbish were they? I mean, no offense, but they're not much cop if a sonic screwdriver's gonna scare them off," Mickey said. Clara was amazed he even knew what a sonic screwdriver. Mickey just seemed like the kind of person that didn't care to know what it was if it had to do with the Doctor.

"Pilot Fish," the Doctor said.

"What?" Rose asked. All four of them looked at him.

"They were just Pilot Fish," the Doctor said. He coughed and threw himself backwards against the wall, in pain. Clara knelt down first next to him, putting her hand on his shoulder. The rest of them knelt down around them.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked, concerned for her best friend.

"Clara woke me up too soon. I'm still regenerating. I'm bursting with energy," the Doctor said, panting heavily. More time vortex escaped through his mouth.

"It's been doing that all day," Clara noted. The Doctor gave her a small smile, as if thanking her for staying by his side all day, then said, "You see? The Pilot Fish could smell it. A million miles away. So they eliminate the defense—that's you lot—and they carry me off. They could run their batteries on me for a couple of year-" He broke off as he lurched forward, groaning.

"Doctor!" Clara exclaimed.

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" Jackie cried.

"My head!" the Doctor said through gritted teeth.

Jackie knelt in front of him, helping Clara hold him up.

"I'm having a neuron implosion. I need-" the Doctor tried to say.

"What do you need?" Jackie asked frantically.

"I need-" the Doctor tried again.

"Say it, tell me, tell me-" Jackie interrupted again.

"I need-"

"Painkillers?" Jackie asked.

"I need-"

"Do you need aspirin?" Jackie asked.

"I-"

"Codeine? Paracetamol? Oh, I dunno—Pepto-Bismol?" Jackie asked.

"Mum!" Clara exclaimed.

"I need-"

"Liquid paraffin. Vitamin C? Vitamin D? Vitamin E?" Jackie asked.

"I need-"

"Is it food? Something simple? Uh—a bowl of soup? A nice bowl of soup? Soup and a sandwich? Soup and a little ham sandwich?" Jackie said, her voice rising hysterically.

"I need you to shut up," the Doctor finally said.

"Oh, he hasn't changed that much, has he?" Jackie asked.

"He's right, though, mum," Clara said.

She helped catch the Doctor as he lurched forward again, against the opposite wall.

"We haven't got much time. If there's Pilot Fish, then-" the Doctor said, breaking off as he pulled an apple out of his dressing gown pocket. "Why's there an apple in my dressing gown?"

"Oh, that's Howard, sorry," Jackie said.

"He keeps apples in his dressing gown?" the Doctor asked.

"He gets hungry," Jackie said.

"What, he gets hungry in his sleep?" the Doctor asked, looking down at the apple.

"Sometimes," Jackie said.

Suddenly, the Doctor shouted with pain and sank to the floor, grimacing.

"Brain—collapsing-" he said. He took Rose's arm and Clara's arm and pulled them closely, speaking with difficulty.

"P—the Pilot Fish. The Pilot Fish mean...that something—something—Something's coming," he said, before collapsing in Clara's lap. Rose, Clara, and Mickey took him back into the flat and back into the bed.

Clara got a wet rag and started mopping up the sweat from his forehead. Rose was sitting in the chair again and Clara, on the bed by his side. Mickey passed by the room, holding a laptop and looked at the girls. Clara didn't even notice him, but Rose looked back at him and he nodded, before leaving.

Rose handed the stethoscope again, and Clara checked his heartbeat. She frowned as she could only find one. She checked, double checked, then triple checked.

"He's only got one heart working," Clara announced.

"Are you sure?" Rose asked.

"Yes, I checked three times. It isn't working and I don't know what to do," Clara said, slumping her shoulders forward.

"Hey, it'll be okay," Rose said, rubbing her cousin's back. "I'm just gonna pop out here for a moment."

Rose left the room, leaving Clara alone with the Doctor.

"I don't know what to do, Doctor. I feel so useless. I just—I just—" Clara broke off as she started to sob quietly. She almost could've sworn that she felt the Doctor grab her hand, but that was impossible.

A few moments later, Clara heard Rose call from the living room.

"Clara, you've got to come see this!" she said. Clara got up from the bed and walked to the living room. On the tellie, was the picture on an alien that appeared to be roaring at them.

"What is that?" Clara asked.

"Dunno, but it sure is ugly," Mickey said.

After flipping through every channel, which all basically said the same thing, Clara went back into the bedroom. She sat on the bed again, and started running her fingers through his hair in a soothing manner.

All she stroked, the Doctor started to breathe heavily again. Jackie came into bedroom and turned the tellie on. On it, was an American new reporter.

"Despite claims of an alien hoax, it's been reported that NATO forces are on red alert," the reporter said.

Jackie had sat down on the other side of the bed.

"Come on, sweetheart. What do you need? What is it you need, tell me.." Jackie said.

"It's no use. He won't answer," Clara said.

Jackie could see tears in Clara's eyes.

"You still love him even though he's different, don't you?" Jackie asked.

Clara couldn't say anything, so she only nodded.

"Speaking strictly off the record, government sources are calling this our longest night," the reporter on TV said.

Jackie fell silent after while, so Clara looked over and saw that she had fallen asleep next to the Doctor. She grabbed a spare blanket and covered her mum up. Walking back round to the other side, she pulled the chair close to the bed and crossed her arms over it and set down her head. She could sense, rather than see, Rose at the doorway.

"The old Doctor wouldn't do this," she heard Rose say, voice shaking. "The old Doctor. The proper Doctor. He'd wake up. He'd save us."

"You really love him, don't you?" she heard Mickey ask.

"Only like a best friend," Rose said. "Clara's the one who's in love with him."

Clara heard Rose sigh, then walk away. What seemed like minutes later, but could've been longer since Clara was asleep, there was a ruckus outside. She jumped up and ran to the front door of the flat. Mickey and Rose were already there, heads popped out. She poked her's out, too.

"Sandra?" Rose asked.

"He won't listen! He's just walking, he won't stop walking!" Sandra, their next door neighbor said, staring after her husband. "There's this sort of...light thing. Jason? Stop it!"

Rose and Mickey both took a few steps forward, but Clara stayed where she was.

"Right now!" Sandra shouted.

Without having to go out, Clara could see the dozens of people who seemed to be hypnotized by the same blue light.

Rose and Mickey took off, following after Jason. Clara ran back into the flat to wake up Jackie.

"Mum!" she yelled, making Jackie fall off the bed with a yelp.

"What'd you do that for?" Jackie asked.

"Sorry, mum, but there's something going on. People seemed to be hypnotized," Clara said, panicking.

Then her mobile rang.

"Hello?" she said.

"Clara, we're on the roof," Rose said. "All the people are lined up her on the edge, just standing here!"

"What do we do, Rosie?" Clara asked.

"I don't know Clare Clare. I don't know," Rose answered. "There's nothing we can do."

Clara heard Mickey in the background, asking Rose the same question.

"Nothing. There's no one to save us. Not anymore," Rose said.

"We just have to stay somewhere safe until the Doctor wakes up," Clara said.

"I don't think he's gonna wake up, Clara," Rose said.

"Yes, he will," Clara said, firmly. "Just wait and see. He's gonna save us all, you'll see."

A while later, Clara turned up the volume on the tellie, as Harriet Jones was starting to make an announcement.

Everybody, shush!" she said. Rose, Mickey, and Jackie all gathered round the television.

"Ladies and gentlemen...if I may take a moment during this terrible time. It's hardly the Queen's speech, I'm afraid that's been canceled," she said. She turned her head to the side to speak to someone. "Did we ask about the royal family? Oh. They're on the roof. But—Ladies and gentlemen—this crisis is unique, and I'm afraid to say, it might get much worse. I would ask you all to remain calm. But I have one request: Doctor. If you're out there...we need you."

Clara's face turned sad at that. The Doctor was currently still asleep in the bedroom, not able to help anyone.

"I don't know what to do. But if you can hear me, Doctor...If anyone knows the Doctor, if anyone can find him...the situation has never been more desperate," Harriet said.

Clara suddenly stood up, not being able to take it anymore. With tears going down her cheeks, she went back into the Doctor's room, which had almost become her's as well with as much as she stayed in there to watch over him.

"Help us. Please, Doctor. Help us," she heard Harriet say behind her. She sat on the bed and started to stroke his hair again. She looked up and saw Rose in the doorway, tears down her cheeks, also. Rose went and sat in the chair and both girls started sobbing. Jackie came in and put an arm around both of her girls, to comfort them.

"He's gone. The Doctor's gone. He's left us, mum. He's left me and Clara, mum..." Rose said.

Clara sobbed harder along with her. It did indeed feel like the Doctor had left them. There was no telling if he'd ever wake up.

"It's all right...I'm sorry..." Jackie said gently to both the girls, trying to sooth them. At that second, the windows all shattered, causing Clara to let out a small shriek. The ground started to shake violently.

Rose and Clara followed Jackie and Mickey outside, across the broken glass. Clara glanced up at the sky in shock. There was a huge spaceship floating into view, blocking out the sun.

"Oh, my gosh," Clara whispered, before sprinting back into the flat, with Rose right behind her. They both ran into the Doctor's room. Mickey and Jackie came in right behind them.

"Mickey, we're gonna carry him. Mum—get your stuff, and get some food. We're going," Rose said.

"I'll help get food," Clara volunteered. She picked up a large duffel bag of hers and ran to the kitchen, where she started piling in non-perishable foods into it. She knew what Rose was thinking. Get the Doctor into the TARDIS where they'll all be safe. She put the bag over her shoulder, then helped Mickey and Rose heave the Doctor to the TARDIS.

Jackie followed after them, carrying several bags. She dropped one, then tried to pick it up again.

"Mum, will you just leave that stuff and give us a hand?" Rose asked.

"It's food! You said we need f—" Jackie said.

"Just leave it!" Rose said.

"Never mind that, mum. Just get the food, I've got the Doctor," Clara said to Jackie. While Rose and Mickey each had an end of the Doctor, while Clara helped with his middle. Jackie followed behind them, still carrying all the bags. She dropped another one, but Jackie hurried to follow them. Clara quickly unlocked the TARDIS for them, and opened the doors. She was starting to pant, after carrying the bag of heavy food on her back and the Doctor.

"No chance either of you could fly this thing?" Mickey asked.

"Not anymore, no." Rose said.

"Well, you both did it before..." Mickey said.

"Yeah, and I can't remember it," Clara said.

"I know, but it's sort of been...wiped out of my head, like it's forbidden," Rose said. "I don't even think I was awake for it, though."

They set the Doctor down on the floor.

"Try that again and I think the universe rips in half," Rose said.

"Ah, better not, then," Mickey said.

"Maybe not," Rose said.

"I'm gonna see if I can figure out how to fly her," Clara said, walking over to the controls.

She brushed her hands over the controls. She heard a faint whispering in her head, and whipped around to see if anyone was there. Rose and Mickey were still over by the Doctor, talking. She heard the whispering again and a brush against her head. Well, brain, to be more specific. She jumped when Mickey and Rose came over.

"How does this thing work? It picks up TV, maybe we could see what's going on out there. Maybe we've surrendered. What do you do to it?" Mickey asked, pressing a few buttons.

"I dunno, it sort of tunes itself," Rose snapped, pressing a few buttons.

"What did you guys do?" Clara asked as the TARDIS started to make a bleeping noise.

"I dunno," Rose said.

"Maybe it's a distress signal," Mickey said.

"Fat lot of good that's gonna do," Rose said.

"Are you gonna be a misery all the time?" Mickey asked.

"Yes," Rose said.

"Welcome to my world," Clara said sarcastically.

"You should look at it from my point of view—stuck in here with your mum's cooking," Mickey said.

"Where is she?" Rose said.

"I think she went to get more food," Clara said, as Mickey shrugged.

"I'd better go and giver her a hand. It might start raining missiles out there," Rose said. She took Clara's hand and pulled her with her.

"Tell her anything from a tin, that's fine," Mickey said.

"Why don't you tell her yourself?" Rose asked.

"I'm not that brave," Mickey said.

"Oh, I don't know..." Rose said, smiling at him. She opened the door and pulled Clara out behind her. As soon as they stepped foot out of the TARDIS, they were both grabbed. Rose screamed.

"Get your hands off of me!" Clara yelled.

"Get off! Get off me!" Rose yelled out. A moment later, Mickey ran out of the TARDIS, looking around.

"The door! Close the door!" Rose yelled.

"Hurry Mickey!" Clara yelled out. Mickey dashed back over and slammed the door shut, before he was grabbed by an alien. Clara yelled out, along with Rose and Mickey.

"Rose. Clara," Clara heard her name being called. Harriet Jones stumble towards them. They all three hugged, terrified.

"Rose, Clara! I've got you both. My precious things. The Doctor...is he with you?" Harriet asked.

"No. We're all on our own," Rose said, her voice shaking. Clara felt her throat starting to close up.

The alien leader, or the Sycorax, as Clara found out they were called, pointed to Rose and Clara. It started speaking angrily in another language.

"The yellow and the red girls. They have the clever blue box. Therefore, they speak for your planet," a man translated.

"But they can't," Harriet said.

"Yeah, we can," Rose said quietly.

"Don't you dare," Mickey said.

"Someone's gotta be the Doctor," Rose said.

"They'll kill you," Harriet said, grabbing both of their arms.

"We gotta try," Clara said.

"Never stopped him," Rose said, shaking Harriet off. Rose and Clara both took a few cautious steps towards the Sycorax leader.

"I, um...I address the Sycorax according to..article fifteen of the, um..." Rose started.

"The Shadow Proclamation," Clara added.

"We command you to leave this world with all the authority of the Slitheen Parliament of..." Rose said.

"Raxacoricofallapatorius," Clara said, as Rose still couldn't quite pronounce it correctly.

"...and, um...the Gelth Confederacy," Rose said.

The Sycorax Leader started to walk towards them.

"A—as us...sanctioned...by the Mighty Jagrafess...and...Oh, the Daleks!" Rose said.

"Now, please leave this planet in peace!" Clara said.

"In peace..." Rose echoed.

There were a few moments of silence, before all the Sycorax started to burst out laughing. The Sycorax Leader started to speak again.

"'You are both very, very funny'," the man said, translating.

The Sycorax Leader started to speak more angrily.

"'And now you're both going to die'," the man translated.

"Leave them alone!" Harriet Jones shouted, jumping forward.

"Don't touch them!" Mickey said, also jumping forward.

"Leave them alone," Harriet said again.

Both Harriet and Mickey were restrained by Sycorax. The Leader continued to speak, circling around Rose and Clara.

"'Did you think you were both clever with your stolen words?'" the man translated.

The Leader put his hands in the air and spoke passionately.

"'We are the Sycorax. We stride the darkness'," was the translation.

The Sycorax Leader hissed at both the girls, who whimpered and clutched each others hands.

"'Next to us you are but wailing children. If you are the best your planet can offer as champions...'"

"Then your world will be gutted..." the Sycorax Leader said.

"'...then your world will be gutted...'" the man translated.

Both Rose and Clara stared with wide eyes.

"...and your people enslaved," the Sycorax Leader said, clearly using English now.

"'...and your people enslaved,'" came the translation, before the man looked up. "Hold on, that's English."

"He's talking English," Harriet said.

"You're talking English," Rose said to the Leader.

"I would never dirty my tongue with your primitive bile!" the Sycorax Leader spat out.

"That's English," Rose said, pointing at him.

"Can you hear English?" Rose asked Harriet, Clara, Mickey, and Alex, the man that was translating.

They all nodded.

"Yeah, that's English," Mickey said.

"Definitely English," Alex said.

"I speak only Sycoraxic!" the Leader said angrily.

"Maybe it's not English," Clara said, gesturing to the TARDIS.

"If we can hear English...then it's being translated. Which means it's working. Which means..." Rose ranted on.

Both her and Clara turned to look at the TARDIS. The doors opened, and there was the Doctor, stripy pajamas, dressing gown, and fruit in his pockets.

"Did you miss me?" the Doctor asked. Clara beamed at him.

The Sycorax Leader roared in fury and lashed out his whip at the Doctor. The Doctor just caught it and pulled it away from the Leader and threw it over his shoulder.

"You could have someone's eye out with that!" the Doctor said.

The Sycorax Leader roared again and tried to attack the Doctor with his staff. Clara gasped, but the Doctor just snatched the staff and broke it in half over his knee. He threw the broken pieces on the floor and Clara let out a sigh of relief.

"You just can't get the staff. Now, you, just wait. I'm busy," the Doctor said. They Sycorax Leader just stared at him and the Doctor pointed at him in warning. Then he walked over to Mickey.

"Mickey! Hello! And Harriet Jones MP for Flydale North! Blimey, it's like 'This Is Your Life'!" the Doctor said, then he turned to Rose and Clara and beamed, which Clara returned. "Tea! That's all I needed! A good cup of tea! Superheated infusion of free redicals and tannin. Just the thing for healing they synapses...Now...first thing's first...be honest. How do I look?"

"Um...different," Rose said.

"Good different or bad different?" the Doctor asked.

"Just...different," Rose said.

"Am I...ginger like Clara?" he asked seriously.

"No, you're just sort of brown," Rose said and Clara giggled.

"Aww, I wanted to be ginger. I've never been ginger," the Doctor said.

"Hey, that's what you said to me!" Clara said. "And I think you're a good different. And a hot one, too." She giggled again.

The Doctor beamed at her, then pointed at Rose again. "And you, Rose Tyler, fat lot of good you were—you gave up on me—oh, that's rude. That's the sort of man I am now, am I? Rude. Rude and not ginger."

"I'm sorry—who is this?" Harriet finally asked.

"I'm the Doctor," the Doctor said.

"He's the Doctor," Rose said.

"But what happened to my Doctor? Or is it a title that's just passed on?" Harriet asked.

"That's him," Clara said, jerking her thumb at the Doctor.

"I'm him. I'm literally him. Same man, new face—well, new everything," the Doctor said, walking towards Harriet.

"But you can't be," Harriet said, looking confused.

"Harriet Jones. We were trapped in Downing Street, and the one thing that scared you wasn't the aliens...wasn't the war...it was the thought of your mother being on her own," the Doctor said.

"Oh, my gosh," Harriet said.

"Did you win the election?" the Doctor asked.

"Landslide majority," Harriet said, smiling and looking rather pleased.

"If I might interrupt!" the Sycorax Leader said.

They all spun around, having forgotten about the fact that they were still in a spaceship full of aliens.

"Yes! Sorry! Hello, big fella!" the Doctor said.

"Who exactly are you?" the Leader asked.

"Well. That's the question," the Doctor said with a grin on his face.

"I demand to know who you are," the Sycorax Leader said.

"I DON'T KNOW!" the Doctor said, mimicking the Sycorax's rough voice. "See, there's the thing. I'm the Doctor, but beyond that, I—I just don't know. I literally do not know who I am. It's all untested."

He walked around the group of people. "Am I funny? Am I sarcastic?" he said. Then he looked at Clara and said, "Sexy?" He winked cheekily at her, remembering her comment about him being 'hot.' Clara blushed and grinned back at him.

"Right old misery? Life and soul? Right-handed? Left-handed? A gambler? A fighter? A coward? A traitor? A liar? A nervous wreck? I mean, judging by the evidence, I've certainly got a gob," the Doctor said. He noticed a large button. "And how am I gonna react when I see this? A great big threatening button."

He laughed and ran up the stairs to the button.

"A Great Big Threatening Button Which Must Not Be Pressed Under Any Circumstances. Am I right? Let me guess, it's some sort of control matrix? Hmm? Hold on, what's feeding it?" the Doctor asked.

He bent down and pulled open a small compartment door to get to the controls. Inside, the Doctor noticed red liquid.

"And what've we got here? Blood?" he asked. He dipped his finger inside it and tasted it. Clara made a gagging noise and tried not to throw up. That was disgusting. "Yeah, definitely. Blood. Human blood. A Positive. With just a dash of iron," he said. He waggled his tongue around to get rid of the gross taste, then wiped his finger on his dressing gown. "Ahh. But that means...blood control—Blood control! Oh! I haven't seen blood control for years! You're controlling all the A Positives!"

Clara watched the Sycorax Leader's grimace falter.

"Which leaves us with a great big sticking problem. 'Cos...I really don't know who I am. I don't know when to stop. So if I see a Great Big Threatening Button Which Should Never Ever Be Pressed...then I just wanna do this," the Doctor said, whacking on the button, hard.

NO!" Clara, Rose, and Harriet all yelled at the same time.

"You killed them!" Alex yelled.

"What do you think, big fella? Are they dead?" the Doctor asked.

"We allow them to live," the Sycorax Leader said.

"Allow? You've no choice! I mean, that's all blood control is. Cheap bit of voodoo. Scares the pants off you, but that's as far as it goes. It's like hypnosis—you can hypnotize someone to walk like a chicken or sing like Elvis, you can't hypnotize them to death. Survival instinct's too strong," the Doctor said.

"Blood control was just one form of conquest. I can summon the armada and take this world by force," the Sycorax Leader said.

"Well, yeah, you could, yeah, you could do that—of course you could. But why? Look at these people. These human beings. Consider their potential. From the day they arrive on the planet and blinking step into the sun. There is more to see than can ever be seen. More to do than—no, hold on...Sorry, that's 'The Lion King'. But the point still stands. Leave them alone!" the Doctor said.

"Or what?" the Sycorax Leader said.

"Or..." the Doctor said, grabbing one of the swords from a Sycorax guarding Rose, Clara, and the others. He ran down the steps into the empty space in front of the TARDIS and raised the sword in the air.

"I challenge you," the Doctor said.

The Sycorax Leader and the other Sycorax burst out laughing again.

"Oh, that struck a chord. Am I right that the sanctified rules of combat still apply?" the Doctor asked.

"You stand as this world's champion?" the Sycorax Leader asked, coming down the stairs, pulling out his own sword.

"Thank you. I've no idea who I am, but you just summed me up," the Doctor said, taking off the dressing gown. He tossed it aside and Rose caught it for him.

"So—you accept my challenge? Or are you just a cranak pel casacree salvak?" the Doctor asked. The Sycorax Leader hissed, so Clara guessed that the Doctor insulted him.

"For the planet?" the Sycorax Leader asked.

"For the planet," the Doctor said.

They stood up and faced each other. They started to run at each other and began to fight. After a few seconds, the Doctor was thrown aside. Clara gasped and put her hands over her mouth. The Sycorax Leader laughed, but the Doctor just picked himself up and they started to fight again. The Sycorax leader swung his sword out at the Doctor.

"Look out!" Rose yelled out.

"Oh, yeah, that helped. Wouldn't have thought of that otherwise, thanks," the Doctor said.

They started to fight again.

"Ooh, he's sarcastic," Clara whispered to Rose, who just gave her a terrified look. The Doctor ran up the stairs and said, "Bit of fresh air?"

He hit a button and a door opened. It led to a platform outside, high above the ground. The Sycorax Leader and the Doctor continued their fight outside. Rose, Clara, Mickey, Harriet, Alex, and a few of the Sycorax followed them. The Sycorax Leader managed to hit the Doctor in the nose and he groaned in pain.

Clara started to run forward, but Rose grabbed her arm and the Doctor said, "Stay back! Invalidate the challenge and he wins the planet."

He wiped his nose and he and the Sycorax Leader ran towards each other and clashed swords. The Doctor was knocked backwards to the ground and the Sycorax Leader took advantage of that. He slashed at the Doctor's wrist, which succeeded in cutting his hand off at the wrist. It fell to the Earth far below them, sword and hand.

Clara let out a strangled noise, and buried her head in Mickey's shoulder, sobbing. The Doctor just watched his hand fall, than looked back at the Sycorax Leader, rather surprised and annoyed at the same time.

"You cut my hand off," the Doctor said.

"YAH! Sycorax!" the Leader called out triumphantly. Clara looked up from Mickey's shoulder, tears making trails down her cheeks.

"And not I know what sort of man I am," the Doctor said, standing up. "I'm lucky. 'Cos quite by chance...I'm still within the first fifteen hours of my regeneration cycle. Which means I've got just enough residual cellular energy...to do this."

He held up his arm, where his hand used to be, and it grew right back. Clara's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped.

"Witchcraft," the Sycorax Leader said.

"Time Lord," the Doctor corrected.

Rose took one of the Sycorax's swords out of its sheath right by them.

"Doctor!" she called. The Doctor turned and she tossed the sword to him. He caught it and spun in round.

"Oh, so I'm still the Doctor, then?" he asked.

"No arguments from me!" Rose said smiling.

"Clara?" he asked.

"Never doubted you!" she said, beaming at him, tears forgotten.

"Wanna know the best bit?" the Doctor asked the Sycorax Leader. "This new hand...It's a fightin' hand!" Clara giggled at the attempted Texan accent from the Doctor.

The Doctor ran at the Sycorax Leader and they started fighting again. They circled around each other, clashing swords, until the Doctor jabbed the Leader in the stomach with the handle of his sword. Clara winced and the Sycorax Leader groaned in pain. The Doctor did it two more times, causing the Sycorax Leader to fall to the ground. The Doctor pointed his sword at the Leader's throat.

"I win," the Doctor said.

"Then kill me," the Leader said with difficulty.

"I'll spare your life if you'll take this champion's command: leave this planet, and never return. What do you say?" the Doctor said.

"Yes," the Sycorax Leader said.

"Swear on the blood of your species," the Doctor said, angrily and seriously, as he jabbed the sword closer.

"I swear," the Leader said.

"There we are, then! Thanks for that! Cheers, big fella!" the Doctor said, in a lighter, more cheerful tone. He stabbed the sword in the ground and walked back to everyone.

"Bravo!" Harriet said, clapping.

"That says it all. Bravo!" Rose said, rushing forward.

"Yeah! Not bad for a man in his jim-jams!" the Doctor said. Rose pulled the dressing gown back on the Doctor, then Clara rushed up and hugged him tightly. The Doctor seemed surprised at first, then hugged her back. He even swung her around a few times. When he put her down, she beamed at him. He took her hand and said, "Very Arthur Dent. Now, there was a nice man. Hold on, what have I got in here?"

He took a satsuma out of his pocket. Rose and Clara both giggled.

"A satsuma. Ah, that friend of your mothers—he does like his snacks doesn't he? But doesn't that just sum up Christmas?" the Doctor said.

They walked back to the door, the Doctor swinging his and Clara's entangled hands. He tossed the satsuma up in the air and caught it.

"You go through all those presents and right at the end, tucked away at the bottom, there's always one stupid satsuma. Who wants a satsuma?" the Doctor asked.

"I like satsumas," Clara said. The Doctor smiled.

Behind them, the Sycorax Leader got to his feet and picked up his sword. He roared, ready to charge them, but the Doctor threw the satsuma at a switch on the side of the ship, without even turning around. The ground underneath the Sycorax Leader opened, causing the Leader to tumbled down to Earth, much like the Doctor's hand had, screaming. The Doctor's smile had faded.

"No second chances. I'm that sort of a man," the Doctor said.

When they went back inside the ship, where the Doctor stood in front of the TARDIS to address all the Sycorax.

"By the ancient rites of combat, I forbid you to scavenge here for the rest of time. And when you go back to the stars and tell others of this planet...when you tell them of its riches—its people—its potential. When you talk of the Earth, then make sure that you tell them this: It—is—defended," the Doctor said.

The TARDIS, the Doctor, Rose, Clara, Harriet Jones, Mickey, and Alex were all teleported back down to Earth.

"Where are we?" Rose asked.

"We're just off Bloxom Road. We're just round the corner, we did it!" Mickey exclaimed. He laughed, jumping up and down in glee. The Doctor held up his hand, as the spaceship engines started up.

"Wait a minute...wait a minute..." the Doctor said.

The ship took off, back to the skies. The Doctor grinned.

"Go on, my son! Oh, yeah!" Mickey yelled gleefully.

"Yeah! Don't some back!" Rose said, jumping onto Mickey's back.

Clara was jumping around, cheering with them, when the Doctor grabbed her in a hug.

"It is defended!" Mickey yelled.

The Doctor set Clara down. She ran over and gave Rose a hug, who, in turn, went over to hug Alex. Clara giggled at the sight.

"My Doctor," Harriet said, facing the Doctor.

"Prime Minister," the Doctor said, hugging her.

"Absolutely the same man," Harriet said. "And Clara. How are you, dear?"

"I'm very good, Ms. Prime Minister," Clara said, grinning. She hugged Harriet. The Doctor smiled, then the three of them looked up at the sky.

"Are there many more out there?" Harriet asked.

"Oh, not just Sycorax. Hundreds of species. Thousands of them. And the human race is drawing attention to itself. Every day you're sending out probes and messages and signals—this planet's so noisy. You're getting noticed...more and more. You'd better get used to it," the Doctor said.

"Rose! Clara!" Jackie called.

"Mum!" both the girls yelled at the same time.

"Oh! Talking of trouble...!" the Doctor said.

"That's rude," Clara said, hitting him on the arm before running to Jackie, hugging her.

"Oh, my gosh! You did it, girls! Oh!" Jackie said. The Doctor smiled at them. Mickey joined them.l

"You did it, too! It was the tea! Fixed his head!" Rose said.

"That was all I needed—cup o' tea," the Doctor said.

"I said so!" Jackie said.

"Actually, you said soup, mum," Clara said, smiling.

"Look at him!" Rose said happily.

"Is it him, though? Is it really the Doctor?" Jackie asked. Clara nodded, beaming in the Doctor's direction. "Oh, my gosh! It's the bleeding Prime Minister!"

"Come here, you," the Doctor said, holding his arms out to Jackie. She threw her arms around him and Rose, Mickey, and Clara joined for a group hug.

"Aww...! Are you better?" Jackie asked.

"I am, yeah!" the Doctor said.

"Told you he'd wake up," Clara teased Rose.

"Never doubted him," Rose said.

"Yeah, right! I had to tell you so several times!" Clara said, laughing.

"You two left me!" Jackie said to Rose and Clara.

"I'm sorry!" Rose said.

"It wasn't exactly our fault we got teleported into an alien spaceship," Clara said.

"I had all the food!" Jackie said.

"Not all of it, mum," Clara said. "I did have my duffel bag, remember?"

The Doctor, Rose, Clara, Jackie, and Mickey all jumped as a green beam of light shot from the ground nearby. Another four shot up, meeting the first, until the five points met in the middle. The beam shot up and hit the spaceship, destroying it.

"What is that?" Rose gasped. "What's happening?"

Clara clamped her hands over her mouth. The Doctor looked from the sky to Harriet Jones. He walked over to her.

"That was murder," he said angrily.

"That was defense. It's adapted from alien technology. A ship that fell to Earth ten years ago," Harriet said.

"But they were leaving," the Doctor said, still angry.

"You said yourself, Doctor. They'd go back to the stars and tell others about the Earth. I'm sorry, Doctor, but you're not here all the time. You come and go. It happened today—Mr. Llewellyn and the Major. They were murdered. They died right in front of me while you were sleeping. In which case—we have to defend ourselves," Harriet said.

"Britain's Golden Age," the Doctor said disdainfully.

"It comes with a price," Harriet said.

"I gave them the wrong warning. I should've told them to run—as fast as they can, run and hide because the monsters are coming: the human race," the Doctor said.

"Those are the people I represent. I did it on their behalf," Harriet said.

"Then I should've stopped you," the Doctor said.

"What does that make you, Doctor? Another alien threat?" Harriet said.

"Don't challenge me, Harriet Jones. 'Cos I'm a completely new man. I could bring down your Government with a single word," the Doctor said, stepping towards Harriet angrily.

"You're the most remarkable man I've ever met. But I don't think you're quite capable of that," Harriet said.

"No, you're right. Not a single word. Just six," the Doctor said, looking down at her.

"I don't think so," Harriet said.

"Six words," the Doctor said.

"Stop it!" Harriet yelled.

"Six," the Doctor said. They stared at each other or a few more seconds until the Doctor walked over to Alex and took off his earpiece. He whispered in his ear, before walking off.

The Doctor took Clara's hand before walking off down the street with her, Rose, Jackie, and Mickey.

"Doctor! Doctor, what did you—what was—what did he say!" Harriet yelled after them. "What did you say, Doctor? Doctor?"

The Doctor completely ignored her, as did Clara, Mickey, Rose, and Jackie. The Doctor went back to the TARDIS, promising to be back at the flat for Christmas dinner. He said he just needed to find some suitable clothing first.

Clara, Rose, Jackie, and Mickey went back to the flat and started to cook Christmas dinner. Rose and Clara were in charge of the general cooking, since Jackie couldn't cook well. Mickey carved the turkey and Rose served the sprouts at the table. Clara set the table up, nice and fancy and brought out the Christmas crackers.

She beamed at the Doctor as he entered the flat wearing a new brown suit and matching jacket. She nodded her approval at his wardrobe. He smiled back at her.

Clara laughed at Rose as she screamed when she pulled a Christmas cracker with the Doctor. The Doctor won, but have it to Rose, anyway.

"Oh, that's yours..." the Doctor said. Rose pulled a pink party hat out of the cracker. Clara giggled at the thought of the Doctor wearing it.

"It's pink! Mum, it should be yours!" Rose said.

"Pink! Lovely!" the Doctor said. Clara pulled a cracker with the Doctor and out popped a hat, just like Rose's, only purple. She grinned and put it on. The Doctor looked at her and smiled.

"Look, it's Harriet Jones!" Rose exclaimed, looking the tellie. They all turned and looked at it, the Doctor took a pair of glasses from his pocket.

"Prime Minister, is it true you are no longer fit to be in position?" a man on the television asked.

"No. Now, can we talk about other things?" Harriet asked.

The Doctor stood up, wearing thick-rimmed, geeky glasses. He stared at the tellie sternly.

"Is it true you're unfit for office?" the man asked.

"Look, there is nothing wrong with my health! I don't know where these stories are coming from! And a vote of no confidence...is completely unjustified," Harriet said.

The phone rang in the kitchen, making Clara jump, and Jackie got up to answer it.

"Are you going to resign?" the man asked.

"On today of all days, I'm fine," Harriet said, looking confused and frustrated. "Look at me, I'm fine. I look fine, I feel fine."

"It's Beth," Jackie said. "She says go and look outside."

The Doctor took the glasses off.

"I like the glasses," Clara said, smiling shyly. The Doctor smiled back at her then turned to the others.

"Why?" Rose asked.

"I dunno, just go outside and look. Come on, shift!" Jackie said.

They all got up and went outside. It was snowing outside. Clara laughed and looked up at the sky. There were streaks of light going across the sky. Clara slipped her hand into the Doctor's. Rose stood beside her cousin.

"Oh, that's beautiful. What are they, meteors?" Rose asked.

"It's the spaceship breaking up in the atmosphere. This isn't snow, it's ash," the Doctor said.

"Okay, not so beautiful," Rose said.

"Eww," Clara commented, scrunching up her nose.

"This is a brand new planet Earth. No denying the existence of aliens now—everyone saw it. Everything's new," the Doctor said.

"And what about you? What are you gonna do next?" Rose asked the Doctor.

"Well...back to the TARDIS...same old life," the Doctor said.

"On—on your own?" Rose asked.

"Why, don't you wanna come?" the Doctor asked.

"Well, yeah," Rose said.

"Do you, though?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah!" Rose said.

"I just thought...'cos I changed.." the Doctor said.

"Yeah, I...I thought, 'cos you changed...you might not want me or Clara anymore," Rose said.

"Oh, I'd love you both to come!" the Doctor said.

"Okay!" Rose said, laughing and beaming at the Doctor.

"What about you, Clara?" the Doctor asked.

"You don't even have to ask, Doctor," she said, beaming at him. He gave her hand a squeeze.

"You're never gonna stay, are you?" Mickey asked Rose.

"There's just so much out there. So much to see...I've got to," Rose said. Mickey smiled.

"Yeah," he said, still not really happy about that.

"Well, I reckon you're mad. The three of you. It's like you go looking for trouble," Jackie said.

"Trouble's just the bits in between," the Doctor said,dropping Clara's hand and rushed up to her. He put an arm around her and looked up at the sky. "It's all waiting out there, Jackie. It's brand new to me."

Rose and Clara both smiled.

"All those planets...creatures and horizons...I haven't seen them yet! Not with these eyes...And it is gonna be...fantastic," the Doctor said. He stood back with Clara and Rose. They both smiled at the use of the word fantastic. He held out his hands for the girls to take.

"That hand of yours still gives me the creeps," Rose said, pointing at it smiling.

"I know what you mean," Clara said. "It's just plain weird."

The Doctor grinned at them and wiggled his fingers at them. Rose took one hand and Clara took the other. They all looked up at the sky for a few moments and they stepped closer to him.

"So, where're we gonna go first?" Rose asked.

"Um...that way," the Doctor said, pointing at the night sky. "No, hold on...that way." He pointed just a bit off to where he had been pointing the first time. Rose pointed in the same direction.

"That way?" Rose asked.

"Hmm?" the Doctor said, looking between her and Clara.

Rose and Clara nodded.

"Yeah. That way," Rose said.

"Sounds good to me, too," Clara said. She squeezed the Doctor's hand and looped her other arm through his. He smiled down at her and she returned it.


	15. New Earth

**New Earth**

**Alright! First 'official' episode with ten! So excited! Right then, so I hope this chapter might be a bit shorter than the last. The last one was 30 pages! That's over 10,000 words! I typed all that in just two days! Ahh! Please read and review!**

**Millenia-the-wings-of-valmar: thanks for adding me to your story alerts and to your favorite stories!**

**MandaPanda89: thanks for adding me to your story alerts!**

**Sashaxh: 10 is the best! **

**TheGirlWithTheOnyxRose: thanks for the story alert!**

**Grapejuice101: Thanks! I really love it, too! The Christmas specials are awesome! I also plan on doing all the series. I even have a plan in mind! Muwahaha! **

**The Oncoming Wolf: thanks for the review. I've got so many plans ahead for this story! I hope everyone will like it!**

**Snowy702: I like people reviewing, too! Keeps me motivated so I can update sooner! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Animemonkey13: I love the sexy specs! (or brainy specs), either way, love 'em! Mine are similar! Hee hee!**

Clara Tyler looked around her bare room in sadness. Most of her clothes were packed in her bag at the foot of her bed, just like her cousin Rose's was. The red-head was off to travel with the Doctor, a strange man that she and Rose had met. He was an alien that had a blue box, called the TARDIS, which stood for Time and Relative Dimensions In Space. He could travel in his TARDIS anywhere space and time, which is where Clara and Rose were off to.

She slung her bag over her shoulder and made her way outside where the TARDIS was parked. Her cousin, Rose, who was more like a sister to her, her aunt, Jackie, who was like her mum, and Rose's boyfriend, Mickey was already standing in front of it.

"Have you got everything, sweetheart?" Jackie asked her.

"Yeah, mum, I do," Clara said.

"Alright. I want you two to be careful," Jackie said.

"Mum! You already told me that," Rose whined.

"Well, I want you to stay safe," Jackie said.

"Don't worry, mum, we will. The Doctor will keep us safe," Clara assured her.

Jackie hugged both of her girls goodbye.

"You got to call Mo about that-" Rose started to say.

"Oh, never mind Mo..." Jackie said.

Clara glanced at the TARDIS as the engines started up.

"Rose!" she said.

"Okay, we're going now. I love you!" Rose said.

"I love you, too, mum," Clara said. Both girls kissed Jackie on the cheek.

"I love you both," Jackie said.

"Love you, love you..." Rose said. She went over and kissed Mickey goodbye.

"Love you," Mickey said.

"You, too," Rose said. "Bye."

Clara gave Mickey a quick hug, then followed Rose into the TARDIS, beaming. Clara closed the door behind her. She took off her bag, then threw it in one of the seats. She grinned at the Doctor when he beamed at her.

Rose was already at the controls, ready to go. The Doctor pulled a lever with vigor. Clara ran up to the controls and helped the Doctor and Rose operate them.

"So, where are we going?" Rose asked.

"Further than we've ever gone before," the Doctor said, grinning.

"Sounds fantastic," Clara said, also grinning.

"This one is mine!" Clara yelled out, running to the door, beating Rose. When she pulled the door open, she gasped. The TARDIS was parked on a hill surrounded by grass being blown by the wind. The Doctor and Rose came out behind her.

"It's the year five billion and twenty-three...we're in the galaxy M87, and this...this is New Earth," the Doctor said.

Ahead of them was a futuristic city with cars—no, not the right word—machines, zooming around in the air..

"That's just...that's-" Rose stuttered.

"Oh, my gosh," Clara gasped, mouth wide open. Rose burst out laughing and Clara soon joined in. She didn't know why she was laughing, but maybe it was in amazement.

"Not bad. Not bad at all!" the Doctor said, nodding.

"That's amazing. I'll never get used to this. Never. Different ground beneath my feet!" Rose said.

"Feels the same, though," Clara said, as Rose jumped up and down in excitement.

"Different sky...! What's that smell?" Rose asked.

Clara inhaled deeply and smelled something sweet and fruity in the air. The Doctor bent down and pulled up some grass and showed it to the girls.

"Apple grass," the Doctor said.

"Apple grass...!" Rose exclaimed. Clara picked some of the grass and smelled it. It smelled wonderful. She tucked it into her pocket.

"Yeah, yeah!" the Doctor said.

"That's beautiful!" Rose said. "Oh, I love this. Can I just say...traveling with you and Clara...I love it."

"Me, too," the Doctor said.

"I love the adventure and excitement like this," Clara said, taking the Doctor's free hand. Rose had linked her arm through his.

"Me, too," the Doctor repeated. Clara and Rose laughed and the Doctor grinned at them.

"Come on!" the Doctor said. He grabbed Rose's hand, since he was already holding Clara's and took off.

They didn't even go that far. Both Rose and Clara just wanted to sit in the grass for a while, taking in this new world. They spread out the Doctor's tan coat and all of them sat on it.

"It smells amazing," Clara said, inhaling deeply.

"That it does," the Doctor said, grinning at her. "So, the year five billion—the sun expands, the Earth gets roasted."

"That was yours and Clara's first date," Rose said, grinning at him and Clara.

"We had chips!" the Doctor said, oblivious to what Rose had really said. Or so it seemed. He leaned back and had grinned at Clara. Rose and Clara both giggled.

"So anyway, planet gone, all rocks and dust, but the human race lives on, spread out across the stars. Soon as the Earth burns up—oh, yeah, they get all nostalgic—big revival moment...but find this place!"

He sat up so he could see the view.

"It's amazing," Clara said.

"Same size as the Earth...same air...same orbit...lovely!" the Doctor said, grinning at Clara. "Call goes out, the humans move in!"

"What's the city called?" Rose asked.

"New New York," the Doctor said.

"Oh, come on," Rose said skeptically.

"Seriously?" Clara asked, just as skeptical.

"It is! It's the City of New New York!" the Doctor said. "Strictly speaking, it's the fifteenth New York since the original. So that makes it New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York."

Both Rose and Clara grinned at him.

"What?" the Doctor asked them, noticing them grinning.

"You're so different," Rose said.

"Very different," Clara agreed, nodding her head.

"New New Doctor," the Doctor said, making both the girls giggle. The Doctor chuckled at them.

"Can we go and visit New New York—so good they named it twice?" Rose asked, standing up.

"Please? Pretty please, with a cherry on top?" Clara asked, with a pouting face on. Both the Doctor and Rose laughed at her facial expression, and then the Doctor also stood up, helping Clara to her feet.

"Well—I thought we might go there first," the Doctor said, nodding to a large building in the distance.

"Why? What is it?" Rose asked.

Clara giggled as she and Rose had to help the Doctor get his coat on, because it was so windy.

"Some sort of hospital. Green moon on the side—that's the universal symbol for hospitals," the Doctor said.

"Hmm!" was all Rose said.

"Just like mauve is the universally acknowledged colour of danger?" Clara asked, teasing him.

"It is!" the Doctor said.

"Whatever," Clara said, laughing. "So, why are we here?"

"I got this," the Doctor said. He pulled out his psychic paper and showed it to the girls. "A message on the psychic paper."

It read '**Ward 26—Please Come**' on it. Clara caught the words for a minute, before they disappeared and the paper became blank for her.

"Someone wants to see me," the Doctor said, putting the psychic paper back into his pocket.

"Hmm! And I thought we were just sight-seeing. Come on, then! Let's go and buy some grapes," Rose said, linking her arms through Clara's and the Doctor's.

It took them a while, but they finally made it to the hospital.

"I really don't like hospitals," the Doctor said.

"Bit rich, coming from you," Rose said.

"I can't help it! I don't like hospitals—they give me the creeps!" the Doctor said.

"I don't like them, either," Clara said quietly. She had had some terrible experiences in hospitals. For one, when her parents had gotten in the car accident, she had been taken to the hospital to be looked over for injuries. Also, she _had_ turned into a gas-mask person when the Doctor had taken them to London during the German blitz.

Rose understood what she was talking about, and took her hand, squeezing it slightly. The Doctor noticed and gave Rose a look, which Rose just shook her head.

"The Pleasure Gardens will now take visitors carrying green or blue identification cards for the next fifteen minutes. Visitors are reminded that cuttings from the gardens are not permitted," a voice announced over the PA.

"Very smart. Not exactly NHS," Rose said, looking around.

"No shop. I like little shops!" the Doctor said.

"Don't worry," Clara said, bouncing back, "we'll take you to a hospital with little shops some day."

"I thought this far in the future, they'd have cured everything," Rose commented.

"The Human Race moves on, but so do the viruses. It's an ongoing war," the Doctor said.

Both Rose and Clara stared as a cat nurse walked by and nodded to them.

"They're cats," Rose said, pointing.

"Cats..." Clara echoed.

"Now, don't stare...think what you both look like to them, all..." the Doctor said, looking at both of them. "Pink, yellow, and red. That's where I'd put the shop!"

He pointed over their shoulders. "Right there!"

Both Rose and Clara looked to where he was pointing. While they looked, the Doctor slipped away and stepped into the lift.

"Hey, where'd he go?" Clara asked, looking around for the Doctor, who was nowhere in sight.

"There he is!" Rose exclaimed, catching sight of him in the lift. The doors were closing.

"Doctor!" Clara yelled.

"Hold on! Hold on!" Rose yelled. Both the girls ran over to the lift to catch him, but it was too late, the doors were closed.

"Oh, too late—I'm going up," the Doctor said through the doors.

"It's all right, there's another lift," Rose said.

"He did that on purpose," Clara said, crossing her arms. She rushed with Rose to the other lift. Rose pressed a button.

"Wait, was that right?" Clara asked.

"I think so," Rose said, looking at the buttons on the outside of the lift.

"Ward 26. And watch out for the disinfectant," the Doctor said, calling through the doors.

"Watch out for what?" Rose asked.

"The disinfectant!" the Doctor yelled, but the girls couldn't hear him.

"'The what?" they both asked loudly.

"The dis—oh, you'll find out," the Doctor said.

Both the girls stepped into the lift.

"Um...Ward 26. Thanks..." Rose said awkwardly.

"D'you think it can hear us?" Clara asked.

"I dunno," Rose said.

The lift doors closed and the lift started moving.

"Commence stage one—disinfection," a voice said in the speaker overhead in the lift.

"What does that mean?" Clara asked, but got her answer as both the girls were soaked in disinfectant. Clara let out a sudden shriek as the cold wetness went down her front and back.

"Turn it off!" Clara yelled as Rose tried smacking the wall to turn it off. White powder then puffed out at them. Clara screwed her eyes shut. She put out her hands in front of her as a blow dryer then went off.

The lift doors opened and Rose and Clara both stepped out. Clara felt like her hair was crazy, even though with red crazy-curly hair before, which wasn't saying much. She still had white powder in her eyes, which she started to wipe away. She glared at her cousin, whose hair was looking neat and shiny.

"I hate you," she said, trying to run her fingers through her hair and was failing miserably.

"The human children are clean," they heard a voice say.

"Um...we're looking for Ward 26..." Rose said.

Clara looked around and noticed they were in a basement, and not in Ward 26.

"This way, Rose and Clara Tyler," the voice said. Clara could see a man that scurried away. Rose nudged Clara and they both followed after him. They both picked up metal rods, just in case.

The man led them down a corridor into a room where an old film was playing. It was a scene of a party, where everyone was laughing and drinking champagne. Clara flushed as she remembered London and drinking on top of Jack's spaceship.

There was a woman on the screen who was talking.

"I mean, you never know what your life's going to be like! Ever! I'm bored with this drink," the woman said, handing her drink away.

Clara cocked her head to the side as she thought about where she had heard the woman's voice before. It sounded very familiar.

"Anyway—oh, hello darling! Now, don't! Stop it!" the woman said, pushing the man playfully in the chest.

"Wait a minute...that's..." Rose said. Clara caught on, now remembering who's voice that was. They both spun around and saw Cassandra.

"Cassandra!" Clara exclaimed.

"Peekaboo!" Cassandra said.

"Don't you come anywhere near us, Cassandra," Rose said. Both of the girls held up their metal rods in front of them.

"Why? What do you think I'm going to do? Flap you both to death?" Cassandra asked.

"Yeah, but...what about Gollum?" Rose asked, gesturing to the man standing by Cassandra.

"Oh...that's just Chip. He's my pet," Cassandra said.

"I worship the mistress!" Chip said.

"Moisturize me, moisturize me..." Cassandra said. Chip picked up a canister and sprayed Cassandra with it.

"He's not even a proper life form. He's a force-grown clone. I modeled him on my favorite pattern. But he's so faithful. Chip sees to my physical needs," Cassandra said.

"I hope that means food," Rose said. "How come you're still alive?"

"After you both murdered me," Cassandra said.

"That was your own fault," Rose said.

"The brain of my mistress survived. And her pretty blue eyes were salvaged from the bin," Chip said.

"What about the skin? I saw it, you-" Rose said, laughing.

"Exploded?" Clara supplied.

"You got ripped apart," Rose said. "But exploded works, too."

"That piece of skin was taken from the front of my body. This piece is the back," Cassandra said.

"Right! So you're talking out of your-" Rose said, laughing. Clara bust up laughing as well.

"Ask not," Cassandra said.

"The mistress was lucky to survive," Chip said. "Chip secreted mi'lady into the hospital."

"So they don't know you're here?" Rose asked.

"Chip steals medicine. Helps mi'lady. Soothes her. Strokes her..." Chip said, raising a hand to stroke Cassandra.

"That's disgusting," Clara said, wrinkling her nose.

"You can stop right there, Chip," Rose said.

"But I'm so alone, hidden down here...the last Human in existence..." Cassandra said in a sad tone.

"Don't start that again—they've called this planet New Earth!" Rose said.

"A vegetable patch," Cassandra commented.

"And there's millions of Humans out there...millions of them," Rose said.

"Meaning you're not the last," Clara said, hands on her hips.

"Mutant stock!" Cassandra said.

"They evolved, Cassandra. They just evolved, like they should. You stayed still. You got yourself all pickled and preserved, and what good did it do you?" Rose asked.

"You're a flappy piece of skin with lipstick," Clara said.

"Oh, I remember that night," Cassandra said, referring to the film. "Drinks for the Ambassador of Thrace. That was the last time anyone told me I was beautiful. After that it all became...such hard work."

"Well, you've got a knack for survival—I'll give you that," Rose said.

"But I've not been idle, Rose, Clara...tucked away, underneath this hospital—I've been listening. The Sisters are hiding something," Cassandra said.

"What d'you mean?" Rose asked.

"Oh...these cats have secrets. Hush, let me whisper. Come closer," Cassandra said.

Clara laughed along with her cousin.

"You must be joking if you thing we're coming anywhere near you!" Rose said. Her and Clara both took a couple of steps back and were caught by a machine that held them in place with a light.

"Chip! Activate the psychograft!" Cassandra yelled.

Chip bounced over to the controls.

"Cassandra! Let Rose go!" Clara yelled.

"I can't move!" Rose yelled out, scared. "Cassandra, let us go!"

"I'll let the blonde go, dear, on one condition," Cassandra addressed Clara. "You stay, or I'll kill little Rosie."

"Fine!" Clara yelled. "Just let Rose go!"

The light released Rose, causing her to fall on her hands and knees.

"No! Clara!" Rose yelled. Chip pulled a lever and bars of light came down from the ceiling and trapped Clara in, like a cage.

"What're you doing to her?" Rose exclaimed.

"The lady's moving on. It's goodbye trampoline, and hello Red-head!" Cassandra yelled.

A second later, a cloud of light jumped from Cassandra, crossed the room, and went into Clara. Chip let go of the lever and Clara fell to the ground.

"Clara!" Rose yelled.

"Mistress?" Chip asked, peering at her.

"Moisturize me..." Cassandra/Clara said, starting to stir. Chip ran over to retrieve the canister for her.

"Clara," Rose whispered in a shocked voice.

"How bizarre...arms...fingers...hair! Ooh, it doesn't seem to stop, does it? Let me see! Let me see!" Cassandra/Clara exclaimed breathlessly.

She jumped up, running past Rose, who was still sitting on the ground in shock and ran to a mirror.

"Oh, my gosh. I'm a chav!" Cassandra/Clara exclaimed.

"What have you done with Clara?" Rose suddenly yelled out.

"Look at me! From class to brass! Although..." Cassandra/Clara frantically exclaimed. She undid a couple of buttons on Clara's shirt, exposing slight cleavage.

Rose watched, horrified, as Cassandra ran her hands down Clara's body.

"Oh...curves...oh, baby..." Cassandra/Clara said. She started bouncing up and down. "It's like living inside a bouncy castle!"

"Mistress is beautiful!" Chip said.

"Absolutement! Oh, but look..." Cassandra/Clara said. She was looking at Cassandra's old frame, which was empty.

"Oh...! The brain lead expired...my old mistress is gone," Chip said in sad surprise.

"But safe and sound in here," Cassandra/Clara said, tapping the side of Clara's head.

"What of the Clara child's mind?" Chip asked.

"Oh...tucked away...I can just about access the surface memory, she's..." Cassandra/Clara said, pausing to think. "Gosh...she's with the Doctor...a man...he's the Doctor...the same Doctor with a new face! That hypocrite! I must get the name of his surgeon. I could do with a little work. Although...Nice rear bumper. Hmm!"

"Don't touch her!" Rose yelled out. Just then, Clara's mobile started to ring.

"Oh..it seems to be ringing...is it meant to ring?" Cassandra/Clara asked.

"Just answer it," Rose said. Cassandra/Clara pulled the phone out of Clara's pocket and looked at it.

"A primitive communications device," Chip said.

"It's a mobile," Rose said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

Cassandra/Clara pushed a button and the Doctor's voice was heard from the other end.

"Clara, where are you and Rose at?" the Doctor asked.

"How does she speak?" Cassandra/Clara whispered to Rose.

"I won't tell you," Rose snapped, crossing her arms.

"Her life depends on it," Cassandra/Clara snarled in a whisper. "I can snap her mind."

"Old Earth Cockney," Chip said.

"Uhm...wotcha..." Cassandra/Clara said.

"Where've you two been? How long does it take to get to Ward 26?" the Doctor asked.

"I'm on my way, governor," Cassandra/Clara said. "I shall proceed up the Apples and Pears."

"Clara doesn't talk like that," Rose said, glaring.

"You'll never guess. I'm with the Face of Boe! Remember him?" the Doctor asked.

"Course I do...that big old...boat...race..." Cassandra/Clara said.

"I'd better go. See you in a minute," the Doctor said.

Cassandra/Clara put the phone back into Clara's pocket.

"This Doctor man is dangerous," Chip said.

Cassandra/Clara flicked her hair back and said, "Dangerous and clever. I might need a mind like his. The Sisterhood is up to something. Remember that Old Earth saying...? Never trust a Nun. Never trust a Nurse. And never trust a cat. Perfume?"

Chip took a small tube of perfume and gave it to her. As she tucked it down Clara's cleavage, she turned to Rose and said, "Now then, Blondie. This is how this is going to work. You don't tell the Doctor who I really am, and I don't snap your precious little cousin's mind, turning her into a vegetable. Got it?"

"Yeah, got it," Rose said, glaring at Cassandra in hatred. Cassandra/Clara turned on heel and strode out of the room with Rose on her tail. They both got into the lift, suffered the disinfectant again, and finally reached Ward 26. They both spotted the Doctor. Cassandra/Clara smiled at him when he noticed them.

"There you both are! Come and look at this patient!" the Doctor said. He took both of their arms dragged them over to a patient whose skin was completely red.

"Marconi's Disease. Should take years to recover. Two days. I've never seen anything like it—they've invented a cell washing cascade—it's amazing. Their medical science is way advanced. And this one!" the Doctor exclaimed, sounding like a kid.

What the Doctor missed, but Rose noticed, was that Cassandra/Clara winced. Inside her head, Clara was screaming at Cassandra.

"Pallidome Pancrosis. Kills you in ten minutes, and he's fine!" the Doctor said, leading them to another bed to a man who was completely white. He waved at the man in the bed. "I need to find a terminal. I've got to see how they do this."

They all walked off, Rose strangely quiet and Clara walking oddly.

"Because if they've got the best medicine in the world...then why's it such a secret?" the Doctor asked.

"I can't Adam and Eve it," Cassandra/Clara said, stopping.

"What's—what's with the voice?" the Doctor asked, looking between the girls. Rose just shrugged and glared at Cassandra again, making it seem like the girls had gotten into a fight.

"Oh, I don't know...just larking about New Earth...New me..." Cassandra/Clara said, looking the Doctor up and down. Rose felt a bit awkward as she noticed the Doctor had seen the buttons of Clara's shirt was undone.

"Well, I can talk. New New Doctor," the Doctor said, grinning.

"Mmm...aren't you just..." Cassandra/Clara said, before she suddenly pulled his face towards her and planted a giant kiss on his lips. To say he was shocked when she pulled away was an understatement. Cassandra/Clara was slightly breathless. Cassandra didn't show it, but internally, she was wincing as Clara was screaming at her for kissing the Doctor.

"T—terminal's this way," Cassandra/Clara said, walking off.

The Doctor still looked shocked, dazed, and tousled. He turned to Rose and said, "Yep...still got it..." in a high-pitched voice, before going off after Cassandra/Clara, smoothing down his hair. Rose gave a big sigh, before going off after them.

They found the terminal and the Doctor pulled up details of the hospital with his sonic screwdriver.

"Nope...nothing odd...surgery...post-op...nano-dentistry... no sign of a shop...they should have a shop," the Doctor said.

"No, it's missing something else. When I was downstairs, those Nurse/Cat/Nuns were talking about Intensive Care. Where is it...?" Cassandra/Clara said.

"You're right, well done," the Doctor said. Rose rolled his eyes.

"Why would they hide a whole department?" Cassandra/Clara said.

"Why indeed?" Rose said.

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver again.

"It's gotta be there somewhere," Cassandra/Clara said. "Search the sub-frame."

"What is the sub-frame's locked?" the Doctor asked.

"Try the installation protocol..." Cassandra/Clara said.

The Doctor scanned the screen and said, "Yeah, course. Sorry. Hold on."

The sonic screwdriver stopped whirling and the entire wall that had the terminal on is slid downwards, revealing a secret corridor behind it. Cassandra/Clara smiled and started walking. The Doctor and Rose looked at each other, then followed after her. The Doctor knew something was off and knew that Rose knew what it was, but he didn't say anything.

"Intensive Care. Certainly looks intensive," the Doctor commented. Him, Rose, and Cassandra/Clara went down the metal stairs into Intensive Care. They all found themselves in a huge cavernous chamber with rows and rows of green doors. The Doctor walked along and opened one of the doors with his sonic screwdriver. Inside was a man covered in boils and surrounded by smoke.

"That's disgusting. What's wrong with him?" Cassandra/Clara asked.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," the Doctor said to the man in a horrified tone.

Rose had a sad and horrified look on her face, while Cassandra/Clara held her nose. The Doctor closed the door and opened another.

"What disease is that?" Cassandra/Clara asked, looking at the woman inside.

"All of them. Every single disease in the galaxy, they've been infected with everything," the Doctor said quietly, obviously disgusted.

"What about us? Are we safe?" Cassandra/Clara asked.

"The air's sterile. Just don't touch them," the Doctor said. He shut the door, then looked over the railing. Cassandra/Clara and Rose followed him.

"How many patients are there?" Cassandra/Clara asked.

"They're not patients," the Doctor answered.

"What are they?" Rose asked.

"But they're sick," Cassandra/Clara said, in a louder voice, blocking out Rose's question.

"They were born sick. They're meant to be sick. They exist to be sick. Lab rats. No wonder the Sisters have got a cure for everything. They've built the ultimate research laboratory. A Human farm," the Doctor said in a furious tone.

"Why don't they just die?" Cassandra/Clara asked.

"Plague carriers. The last to go," the Doctor said.

"It's for the greater cause," Novice Hame said, appearing at the end of the row.

"Novice Hame. When you took your vows, did you agree to this?" the Doctor asked.

"The Sisterhood was sworn to help," Novice Hame said.

"What, by killing?" the Doctor shouted.

"But they're not real people," Novice Hame said gently. "They're specifically grown. They have no proper existence."

"What's the turnover? Hm? Thousand a day? Thousand the next? How many thousand? For how many years? How many?" the Doctor asked, advancing on Novice Hame.

"Mankind needed us. They came to this planet with so many illnesses," Novice Hame said. "We couldn't cope. We did try. We tried everything. We tried using clone-meat and bio-cattle...but the results were too slow. So the Sisterhood grew its own flesh. That's all they are. Flesh."

"These people are alive," the Doctor said.

"But think of those Humans our there...healthy...and happy, because of us," Novice Hame said.

"If they live because of this, then life is worthless," the Doctor said.

"But who are you to decide that?" Novice Hame asked.

"I'm the Doctor. And if you don't like it...if you want to take it to a higher authority, then there isn't one. It stops with me," the Doctor said, stepping forward.

"Just to confirm...none of the Humans in the city actually know about this?" Cassandra/Clara asked, peering over the Doctor's shoulder.

"We though it best not-" Novice Hame started to say.

"Hold on. I can understand the bodies. I can understand your vows. But one thing I can't understand—what have you down to Clara?" the Doctor asked.

"I don't know what you mean," Novice Hame said.

"And I'm being very, very calm. You wanna beware of that—very, very calm. And the only reason I'm being so very, very calm is that the brain is a delicate thing. Whatever you've done to Clara's head, I want it reversed," the Doctor said.

"We haven't done anything," Novice Hame said.

"I'm perfectly fine," Clara/Cassandra said.

"She's fine," Rose mumbled when Clara/Cassandra glared at her.

"These people are dying and Clara would care, and so would Rose," the Doctor said.

"Oh, all right, clever clogs," Clara/Cassandra said. She spun the Doctor around to face her. She grabbed his tie and pulled at it, as if flirting. "Smarty pants. Lady-killer."

"What's happened to you?" the Doctor asked confused, looking between her and Rose.

"I knew something was going on in this hospital, but I needed this body and your mind to find it out," Clara/Cassandra said.

"Who are you?" the Doctor asked.

"The Last Human," Clara/Cassandra said, standing on her tip toes to whisper in his ear.

"Cassandra?" the Doctor asked, pulling back, surprised.

"Wake up and smell the perfume," Clara/Cassandra said.

She took out a tube of perfume and sprayed it in the Doctor's face, immediately rendering him unconscious. She quickly did the same to Rose.

"You've hurt them!" Novice Hame exclaimed. "I don't understand—I'll have to fetch Matron!"

"You do that, 'cause I want to see her. Now, run along! Sound the alarm!" Clara/Cassandra said. Novice Hame hurried off, and was out of sight. Clara/Cassandra ripped a cable out of and the alarm went off. She smirked to herself, obviously satisfied.

"Well," she said, "that's done. Now comes the hard part."

When the Doctor and Rose next woke up, they were both locked inside separate cells in the Intensive Care.

"Let me out! Let me out!" the Doctor yelled, with Rose shouting similar things next to him.

"Aren't you both lucky there were spares? Standing room only," Clara/Cassandra said, looking through the door at the Doctor.

"You've stolen Clara's body," the Doctor said.

"Over the years, I've thought of a thousand ways to kill you, Doctor. And now, that's exactly what I've got. One thousand diseases. They pump the patients with a top-up every ten minutes. You've both got about...three minutes left. Enjoy," Clara/Cassandra said.

"Just let Clara go, Cassandra," the Doctor said.

"I will! As soon as I've found someone younger and...less common...then I'll junk her with the waste. Now, hushaby! It's showtime," Clara/Cassandra said.

Matron Casp and Sister Jatt from the Sisterhood approached Clara/Cassandra.

"Anything we can do to help?" Sister Jatt asked.

"Straight to the point, Whiskers...I want money," Clara/Cassandra said.

"The Sisterhood is a charity. We don't give money. We only...accept..." Matron Casp said.

"The Humans across the water pay you a fortune. And that's exactly what I need. A one-off payment. That's all I want...oh, and perhaps a yacht. In return for which, I shall tell the City nothing of your institutional murder. Is that a deal?" Clara/Cassandra asked.

Sister Jatt pressed a few buttons on a remote as Matron Casp said, "I'm afraid not."

"I'd really advise you to think about this," Clara/Cassandra said.

"There's no need. I have to decline," Matron Casp said.

"I'll tell them! And you've no way of stopping me! You're not exactly Nuns with Guns—you're not even armed," Clara/Cassandra said.

"Who needs arms when we have claws?" Matron Casp asked, before her claws shot out of her paws and she hissed.

"Well, nice try," Clara/Cassandra said. She spun around and called to Chip, who was waiting nearby. "Chip? Plan B!"

The doors on every cell on the row sprung open, releasing the Doctor, Rose and the infected people.

"What've you done?" the Doctor exclaimed, yelling.

"Gave the system a shot of adrenaline, just to wake 'em up. See ya!" Clara/Cassandra said, running off.

"Don't touch them!" the Doctor called to the nurses. "Whatever you do, don't touch!"

He ran after Clara/Cassandra and Chip with Rose right on his tail.

"I'm sorry, Doctor," Rose said, as they ran. "I couldn't say anything 'cos Cassandra said she'd fry Clara's brain and I couldn't let that happen to her."

"We've just got to stop Cassandra," the Doctor said.

Behind them all, someone screamed in pain and all the zombie-like patients were breaking out of their cells. The Doctor, Rose, Clara/Cassandra, and Chip all paused in their running to watch.

"Oh, my gosh..." Clara/Cassandra said, although, it was more Clara that said it, watching the horror whilst locked in the back of her own brain.

"What the hell have you done?" the Doctor asked.

"It wasn't me!" Clara/Cassandra said.

"One touch and you get every disease in the world, and I want that body safe, Cassandra! We've gotta go down!" the Doctor said.

"But there's thousands of them!" Clara/Cassandra said, scared as the zombies advanced on them.

"RUN! Down! Down! Go down!" the Doctor yelled. The four of them (five, if you counted Clara and Cassandra as separate people) ran down the stairs.

"This building is under quarantine," the PA above them announced as they continued to run. "Repeat—this building is under quarantine. No one may leave the premises. Repeat no one may leave the premises."

"Keep going! Go down!" the Doctor yelled, as the zombies continued to follow them, their arms outstretched, as true zombies would.

They descended the last set of stairs and burst through a door into the cellar. Clara/Cassandra tried to get the lift to working frantically.

"No, the lifts have closed down. That's the quarantine, nothing's moving," the Doctor said.

"This way!" Clara/Cassandra said, leading the other three the other way. The Doctor noticed that Chip was left behind as more zombies poured in.

"Someone will touch him!" the Doctor said, turning to go back.

"Leave him! He's just a clone thing, he's only got a half life—come on!" Clara/Cassandra said, grabbing the Doctor's arm.

"Mistress!" Chip called out.

Clara/Cassandra had already started running in the other direction, with Rose right behind her.

"I'm sorry, I can't let her escape!" the Doctor said, calling to Chip. He turned and rushed off after Clara/Cassandra.

_Stop this madness, Cassandra!_ Clara screamed in her own head. _People are dying!_

_As long as I live,_ Cassandra snarled back at her.

_Keep the Doctor alive_, Clara whimpered, shying away from the mental pain.

_You, my dear, are in no position to make requests,_ Cassandra said.

_The Doctor lives, you live. That simple_, Clara said, smirking in satisfaction as Cassandra mentally sighed and said, _Fine. But I can't guarantee the safety of your little relative._

_Don't you dare, Cassandra!_ Clara screamed out, before Cassandra drowned her voice away, mentally locking her behind a large, metal door.

Clara/Cassandra rushed back down the hall to where Rose and Clara had first ran into her, slamming the door behind the Doctor and Rose. She rushed over to try another door, but discovered more zombies behind it, and slammed it shut.

"We're trapped!" Clara/Cassandra exclaimed in fear. "What're we going to do?"

"Well, for starters, you're going to leave that body," the Doctor said angrily. "That psychograft is banned on every civilized planet! You're compressing Clara to death."

"But I've got nowhere to go. My original skin's dead," Cassandra said, with a slight whimper.

"Not my problem," the Doctor said. "You can float as atoms in the air. Now, get out."

Clara/Cassandra (though more Cassandra, now) stood there, hesitating. The Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at her threateningly.

"Giver her back to me," the Doctor said.

"You asked for it," Cassandra/Clara said. A bunch of light exited Clara's body and floated through the air into the Doctor's body.

Clara groaned loudly, as Rose stared at her in confusion as to what just happened.

"Ow, my head hurts," Clara gasped, clutching her forehead. "Where's Cassandra?"

"Oh, my. This is...different," the Doctor said.

"Cassandra?" Clara and Rose both asked together.

"Goodness me, I'm a man. Yum. So many parts! And hardly used..." Cassandra/the Doctor said, wiggling around like crazy. "Ah...ah! Two hearts! Oh, baby, I'm beating out a samba!"

"Get out of him!" Rose demanded.

"And stop talking like that," Clara said, hands on her hips.

"Ooh, he's slim. And a little bit foxy," Cassandra/the Doctor said, running her hands down his body. She raised the Doctor's eyebrows in Clara's directions and wiggled them.

"You've thought so too. I've been inside your head..." Cassandra/the Doctor said.

Clara flushed bright red and Rose sent a smirk in her cousin's direction.

"You had no business to that!" Clara said, glaring at Cassandra/the Doctor.

"You've been looking...you like it," Cassandra/the Doctor said. Clara flushed an even darker shade of red, then jumped as zombie people burst through the doors. Both Cassandra/the Doctor, and Rose had jumped as well.

"What do we do?" Cassandra/the Doctor called out frantically. "What would he do? The Doctor—what the hell would he do?"

"Ladder," Rose said, seeing the ladder over her cousin's shoulder. "We've gotta get up."

Cassandra/the Doctor shoved Rose and Clara aside, successfully knocking Clara to the floor.

"Our of the way, Blondie and Red!" Cassandra/the Doctor called, getting to the ladder first. The zombie people were getting closer.

Rose helped Clara pick herself up off the floor and shouted, "C'mon!" before taking off after Cassandra/the Doctor. Rose shoved Clara ahead of her, before starting to climb the ladder herself.

"If you get out of the Doctor's body, he can think of something," Rose called up to Cassandra/the Doctor.

"He can keep us alive," Clara said in a persuading voice. "Just like I told you."

"Yep, yep, yep...Gosh, it was tedious inside your head. Hormone City," Cassandra/the Doctor said.

"We're gonna die if-" Rose started saying, while Clara flushed slightly. Rose broke off as Matron Casp grabbed her ankle.

"Get off!" Rose shouted.

"Rose!" Clara called out for her cousin.

"All our good work! All that healing!" Matron Casp said. The good name of the Sisterhood—you have destroyed everything!"

"Those people are in pain!" Clara shot back.

"Go and play with a ball of string," Cassandra/the Doctor said.

"Everywhere—disease! This is the Human World. Sickness!" Matron Casp said, before gasping in pain, as a zombie grabbed her ankle. Clara winced as Matron Casp started crying out in pain, before breaking out in boils and falling down the shaft they had climbed up.

"No!" Clara called out, upset at seeing someone in pain.

"Move!" Rose yelled, as more zombie people started to climb the ladder again. Cassandra/the Doctor whimpered in fear, and then started climbing again.

"Maximum quarantine. Divert all shuttles," the PA announced.

The three of them (well, four, really) reached the top of the ladder to find sealed lift doors.

"Now what do we do?" Cassandra/the Doctor wailed.

"Use the sonic screwdriver," Rose said.

"And hurry!" Clara added.

Cassandra/the Doctor pulled the sonic screwdriver out of the Doctor's jacket pocket with her index fingers. She wrinkled her nose and said, "You mean this thing?"

"Yes, I mean that thing," Rose said.

"Well, I don't know how—that Doctor's hidden away all his thoughts," Cassandra/the Doctor complained.

"Enter my body again, Cassandra!" Clara called out suddenly. "That way the Doctor can open the lift doors and get us out of here!"

Rose opened her mouth to object, but Clara yelled out, "Now, Cassandra!"

"Hold on tight," Cassandra/the Doctor said. The floating white light flew out of the Doctor and back into Clara.

"Oh...oh, chavtastic again. Open it!" Cassandra/Clara called out to the Doctor.

The Doctor just pointed his sonic screwdriver at her, despite Rose's protests.

"Not 'til you get out of her," the Doctor said.

"Doctor!" Rose called out.

"We need the Doctor," Clara/Cassandra said.

"I order you to leave her!" the Doctor said.

Cassandra leapt from Clara's body and back into the Doctor's.

"No matter how difficult the situation, there is no need to shout," Cassandra/the Doctor said.

"Cassandra!" Clara yelled. "Get out of the Doctor! Get back into me!"

"But I can't go into you, he simply refuses—he's so rude," Cassandra/the Doctor said.

"Clara, the Doctor won't let her," Rose said.

"So what?" Clara exclaimed, as the zombie people below them got closer. "C'mon, Cassandra! Do something!"

"Oh, I am so gonna regret this..." Cassandra/the Doctor said. She jumped from the Doctor's body and into that of a zombie woman.

"Oh, I look disgusting," Cassandra/zombie woman shrieked.

The Doctor opened the lift doors with the screwdriver and helped Clara up, while saying, "Nice to have you back."

Clara grinned at him and then he helped Rose up.

"No you don't..." Cassandra/zombie woman said, jumping back into Clara. Clara was nearly slammed to the ground at the force Cassandra used. She managed to kneel to hold herself up.

"That was your last warning, Cassandra!" the Doctor said, sealing the doors with his sonic screwdriver behind them. He held up his hand and helped Clara/Cassandra (though more Clara) to her feet.

The Doctor, Rose, and Clara/Cassandra walked off to Ward 26 with the zombie people banging on the lift doors behind them.

When they entered the Ward, Frau Clovis, who was left behind, nearly hit them with a chair, roaring madly.

"We're safe!" the Doctor exclaimed. "We're safe! We're safe. We're clean! We're clean! Look, look-"

"Show me your skin," Frau Clovis said.

"Look!" the Doctor said, showing her his arm. "Clean. Look—if we'd been touched, we'd be dead."

Frau Clovis nodded and set the chair down.

"So, how's it going up here? What's the status?" the Doctor asked.

"There's nothing but silence from the other wards. I think we're the only ones left. And I've been trying to override the quarantine," Frau Clovis said, messing with the device she was holding.

"If I can trip a signal over to New New York, they can send a private executive squad," Frau Clovis said.

"You can't do that. If they forced entry, they'd break quarantine," the Doctor said.

"I am not dying in here," Frau Clovis said angrily.

"We can't let a single particle of disease get out—there is ten million people in that City, they'd all be at risk! Now, turn that off!" the Doctor insisted.

"Not if it gets me out," Frau Clovis said.

"All right, fine," the Doctor said. "So I have to stop you lot as well. Suits me. Rose. Clara. Novice Hame. Everyone! Excuse me your grace—get me intravenous solutions for every single disease. Move it!"

Clara/Cassandra helped Rose attach the solutions to the rope the Doctor had tied around himself.

"How's that?" the Doctor asked them. "Will that do?"

"I don't know! Will it do for what?" Clara/Cassandra asked.

"Doctor, what are you doing?" Rose asked as the Doctor used his sonic screwdriver to open the lift doors again.

"The lifts aren't working," Clara/Cassandra observed.

The Doctor peered down the shaft and said, "Not moving. Different thing."

He stepped back to position himself for a running jump down the shaft. In her head, Clara was screaming at Cassandra to stop him. Rose stood, frozen in place from fear.

"Here we go," the Doctor said. He stuck the sonic screwdriver in his teeth and started running.

"No!" Rose yelled out.

"But you're not going to-" Clara/Cassandra said, but the Doctor jumped into the middle of the shaft, clinging to the rope.

"What do you think you're doing!" Clara/Cassandra asked, though it was more Clara that broke through and asked that.

"Doctor!" Rose exclaimed.

"I'm going down!" the Doctor said, fixing the wench with his sonic screwdriver. Rose and Clara/Cassandra peered over the edge of the shaft, watching the Doctor.

"Come on!" the Doctor said.

"Are you sure?" Rose asked, looking in the dark.

"Not in a million years," Clara/Cassandra exclaimed.

"I need another pair of hands. What do you think? If you're so desperate to stay alive...why don't you live a little?" the Doctor asked, addressing Cassandra.

Behind them, more zombies emerged from the quarantine.

"Seal the door!" Frau Clovis exclaimed.

The doors closed, leaving Rose and Clara/Cassandra no choice but to jump into the lift with the Doctor. Clara/Cassandra went first, jumping onto the Doctor's back, making him groan in pain. Rose went next, just avoiding the zombies, and clung to the rope.

"You're completely mad," Clara/Cassandra said. "I can see why she likes you."

"Shut up, Cassandra," Rose said, on behalf of her cousin.

"Going down!" the Doctor said.

Clara was screaming mentally, as they sped down the shaft. Clara/Cassandra straightened herself when they reached the bottom and said, "Well, that's one way to lose weight."

"Now, listen—when I say so, take hold of that lever," the Doctor said.

"There's still a quarantine down there, we can't-" Clara/Cassandra said, but the Doctor cut in.

"Hold that lever!" he shouted. Clara/Cassandra backed down, looking a bit frightened from his yelling.

"I'm cooking up a cocktail. I know a bit about medicine myself," the Doctor said.

The Doctor ripped open all of the packets of solutions and poured them into the lift, where the disinfectant went.

"Now, that lever's going to resist. But the two of you keep it in position," the Doctor ordered.

He opened the trap door and looked at the girls.

"Hold onto it with everything you've got," he said to them.

"What about you?" Clara/Cassandra asked.

"I've got an appointment. The Doctor is in," the Doctor said, jumping down into the lift. He opened the lift doors with the screwdriver, just setting in an invitation to all the zombie people.

"I'm in here, come on!" the Doctor announced, as the zombie people see him and start forwards.

"Don't tell them!" Clara/Cassandra said.

"Pull that lever!" the Doctor said.

It took both of the girls' (plus Cassandra) strength, but they managed to pull the lever. The hard part was to hold it into place.

"Come and get me, come on!" the Doctor yelled out. "I'm in here, come on!"

The zombie people reached out to him, just as the lift announced, "Commence stage one—disinfection."

"Hurry up, come on!" the Doctor yelled, beckoning to the infected. The solution sprayed out into the lift, soaking him. Clara, buried in the dark recesses of her brain, couldn't help but like how he looked, wet.

"Naughty girl," Cassandra said, causing Rose to look at her in confusion.

"What?" she asked.

"You cousin is appreciating the view," Cassandra/Clara answered, nodding to the Doctor.

"Come on, come on," the Doctor said, still leading on the zombies. The infected stumbled into the lift, also getting soaked with the solution.

"All they wanna do is pass it on," the Doctor said enthusiastically. "Pass it on!"

"Pass on what? Pass on what?" Clara/Cassandra asked, confused. Rose also looked confused.

"Pass it on!" the Doctor exclaimed again.

The zombie people started to touch each other, passing on the medicine from the solution, that was slowly curing them. Boils started to disappear, making the Doctor grin. Rose and Clara/Cassandra jumped down into the lift with the Doctor helping them.

"What did they pass on? Did you kill them? All of them?" Cassandra/Clara asked.

"No," the Doctor answered. "That's your way of doing things." With that, he walked away, while saying, "I'm the Doctor and I cured them."

A woman came up from the crowd and hugged the Doctor. Clara couldn't help but feel jealousy creeping up on her, even though she knew the woman was just thankful.

"That's right! Hey, hey! There we go, sweetheart! Ay? Look at him.." the Doctor said, gesturing the woman to go sit with a man. "Go on, that's it! That's it! It's a new sub-species, Cassandra and Rose!"

He put his hands on a man's shoulders and looked at him while saying, "A brand new form of life! New Humans! Look at them, look! Grown by cats...kept in the dark, fed by tubes...but completely, completely alive!"

He pointed at Clara/Cassandra and said, "You can't deny them, because you helped create them."

Both Clara and Cassandra rolled their eyes at him.

"The human race just keeps on going. Keeps on changing. Life will out! Ha!" the Doctor exclaimed.

After sitting and waiting for the officers and the police to arrive, Clara mentally crawled back into the dark parts of her mind, bored. It was only after the Doctor, Rose, and Cassandra/Clara went back into the Ward, did she emerge again.

"All staff will present themselves to the officers for immediate arrest. I repeat—immediate arrest. All new life forms will be cataloged and taken into care," the PA announced to everyone.

The three (or four) of them watched as Novice Hame was taken away by the police, arrested for her crimes.

"All visitors to the hospital will be required to make a statement to the NNYPD," the PA continued.

"The Face of Boe!" the Doctor suddenly exclaimed out of the blue, taking off. Rose, Cassandra, and Clara (though only mentally) rolled their eyes, before following after him.

Cassandra/Clara and Rose entered the Ward, slightly breathless.

"You were supposed to be dying," the Doctor said, smiling at the Face of Boe.

"Oh, I hate telepathy. Just what I need, a head full of big face," Cassandra/Clara said, running her big mouth after a moment of silence.

"Shh!" Rose and the Doctor shushed.

"I have grown tired with the universe, Doctor, but you have taught me to look at it anew," the Face of Boe said, this time aloud.

The Doctor knelt in front of the Face of Boe and said, "There are legends you know, saying that you're millions of years old."

"There are?" the Face of Boe asked, laughing. "That would be impossible."

"Wouldn't it just? I got the impression...there was something you wanted to tell me..." the Doctor said.

"A great secret," the Face of Boe said.

"So the legend says," the Doctor said.

"It can wait," the Face of Boe told him.

"Oh, does it have to?" the Doctor asked, pouting and looking like a child.

"We shall meet again, Doctor, for the third time...for the last time...and the truth shall be told. Until that day..." the Face of Boe said.

He looked at Cassandra/Clara for a second and only Clara could hear a voice in her head.

_Watch over your Doctor, Clara. He will need you more than ever, soon. Just as you will need him_, the Face of Boe told her, before he teleported himself away. Clara couldn't help but to feel puzzled as to what he meant.

"That was enigmatic," the Doctor said, looking impressed. "That—that is—that is textbook enigmatic."

He nodded, then faced Clara/Cassandra, who had been examining her nails. Rose looked silently between the two of them.

"And now for you," the Doctor said.

"But...everything's happy," Cassandra/Clara said. "Everything's fine...can't you just leave me?"

"You've lived long enough. Leave that body and end it, Cassandra," the Doctor said.

"I don't want to die!" Cassandra/Clara exclaimed, starting to cry.

"No one does," the Doctor said.

"Help me!" Cassandra/Clara cried. Rose stared at her, torn between pity and loathing.

"I can't," the Doctor said.

Chip then made his appearance, causing Cassandra/Clara to gasp.

"Mistress!" Chip said.

"Ah! You're alive!" Cassandra/Clara exclaimed.

"I kept myself safe. For you, mistress," Chip said.

Cassandra/Clara stared at Chip in a strange way, as if contemplating something. "A body...and not just that, a volunteer..."

"Don't you dare," the Doctor said in a warning voice. "He's got a life of his own."

"But I worship the mistress!" Chip argued. Cassandra/Clara winked at him.

"I welcome her," Chip said.

"You can't, Cassandra, you-"

Cassandra completely ignored the Doctor and left Clara's body, causing her to fall forward, and entered Chip's body. Both Rose and the Doctor went forward to catch Clara, but the Doctor got there first, catching her around the waist.

"Oh! You all right?" he asked her.

"Fine," Clara said, but she lost her balance again, dizzy.

"Whoa! Okay?" the Doctor repeated.

"Just peachy, Sweetie," she said, patting his cheek. She noticed, then, how close the Doctor was to her. She was suddenly lost in his chocolate-coloured eyes. She smiled at him, and said, "Hello, Sweetie."

"Hello," the Doctor said, smiling. "Welcome back."

Clara smiled at him again, staring into his wonderful eyes. How deep they seemed to go...She was yanked back to reality by Rose flinging her arms around her cousin.

"Clare Clare!" she exclaimed.

"Rosie!" Clara yelled back, hugging her blonde cousin tightly. They broke apart when they heard Cassandra/Chip from behind them.

"Oh, my goodness. I'm a walking doodle," she/he said.

"You can't stay in there. I'm sorry, Cassandra, but that's not fair. I can take you to the City. They can build you a skin tank and you can stand trial for what you've done," the Doctor said.

"Well, that would be rather dramatic. Possibly my finest hour. And certainly my finest hat," Cassandra/Chip said. Rose, Clara, and the Doctor all glanced at each other, confused.

"But I'm afraid we don't have time. Poor little Chip is only a half-life," Cassandra/Chip said. "And he's been through so much. His heart is racing so. He's failing. I don't think he's going to last—"

She broke off as Chip's legs gave way, sending her to the floor. Rose, Clara, and the Doctor all raced forward to support Chip's body.

"You all right?" the Doctor asked.

"I'm fine," Cassandra/Chip answered, pausing. Clara was surprised she actually felt concern, though she felt it was more for Chip and less for Cassandra.

"I'm dying," Cassandra/Chip said. "But that's fine."

"I can take you to the City," the Doctor said calmly.

"No, you won't," Cassandra/Chip said. "Everything's new on this planet. There's no place for Chip and me anymore. You're right, Doctor. It's time to die. And that's good."

Clara felt her throat constricting sightly and tears prickled her eyes. The three companions helped Chip/Cassandra to his feet.

"Come on. There's one last thing I can do," the Doctor said.

The blonde, redhead, and brunette helped Cassandra/Chip into the TARDIS, and the Doctor frantically went about, starting the engine to life. When the TARDIS stopped, the Doctor stepped out, followed by Cassandra/Chip, then Rose and Clara.

Clara looked around in amazement. It was the party that had been playing in the tape!

"Thank you," Cassandra/Chip said to the Doctor, looking around.

"Just go. And don't look back," the Doctor said.

"Good luck," Rose said.

"And don't worry," Clara added.

Cassandra/Chip walked through the crowd to the human Cassandra.

"And if you'd actually seen them, they were shocked! But don't quote me on that. Oh, naughty. A blentot!" the human Cassandra was saying. She walked away from the crowd, and Cassandra/Chip approached her.

"Excuse me...Lady Cassandra..." Cassandra/Chip said.

"I'm sorry, I don't need anything right now—I'm fine, thank you," the human Cassandra said, turning away.

"No—I just wanted to say...you look beautiful," Cassandra/Chip said to herself.

"Well. That's very kind, you strange little thing. Thank you very much," the human Cassandra said.

"I mean it," Cassandra/Chip said, stepping forward to look at her. "You look...so beautiful."

"Thank you," Human Cassandra whispered, touched by the strange being. Cassandra/Chip's eyelids fluttered and he keeled over.

"Oh, my," Human Cassandra gasped. "Are you alright? What is it? What's wrong? Someone get some help!"

She gathered Cassandra/Chip in her arms and cried out, "Call a medic or something, quickly!"

"Who is he?" a random woman asked.

"I don't know," Human Cassandra said frantically. "He just came up to me. I don't even know his name. He just collapsed. I think he's dying. Someone do something! I've got you, sweetheart...it's all right..."

Rose looked close to tears, while Clara had silent, slow tears making trails down her cheeks.

"There you are...there you are, I've got you...it'll be all right. There, there, you poor little thing..."

Unable to watch any more, Clara tugged on the Doctor's arm. He took the cue and he, Rose, and Clara went back to the TARDIS.


	16. Tooth and Claw

After telling the girls that they were headed off to 1979, Clara changed into an outfit that was similar to Rose's, but not quite. While Rose was wearing a short dungaree skirt, Clara had gone with a punk look, with leather shorts (but not _too_ short) and a green tube top. She then got a flannel shirt and tied the ends of it together just below her breasts.

Knowing that their trip would involve some sort of running, she put on blue Converse over leopard-print tights. Not exactly what she would ever wear, but since she was going to be in a different decade, she decided to have some fun with dressing up.

"Is this okay?" she asked, coming out a few minutes after Rose had. She recognized Ian Dury and the Blockheads 'Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick' playing the background.

"That looks brilliant!" Rose exclaimed.

"Hey, that's Ian Dury and the Blockheads," Clara commented on the music.

"Number One in 1979," the Doctor said, going around the controls.

"You both are Punks!" Rose said.

"'It's good to be a lunatic-'" the Doctor sang along with the song.

"'Hit me, hit me, hit me,'" Clara sang, too.

"That's what you are. A big old Punk with a bit of Rockability thrown in," Rose said. Clara giggled and ran her hand through her big, curly, red hair.

"Would you two like to see him?" the Doctor asked.

"Seriously?" Clara asked, here eyes popping out.

"How'd you mean? In concert?" Rose asked, her mouth gaping open.

"What else is the TARDIS for?" the Doctor asked.

"Blimey," Clara said, acting quite like a fish.

"I can take you two to the Battle of Trafalgar...the first anti-gravity Olympics...Caesar crossing the Rubicon...or...Ian Dury at the Top Rank, Sheffield, England, Earth, 21st November, 1979. What do you two think?" the Doctor asked.

The girls looked at each other and both said, "Sheffield it is!"

"Hold on tight!" the Doctor exclaimed.

He pulled a lever on the console and the three of them lurched forward as the TARDIS spun through the Vortex towards 1979. The Doctor started whacking the TARDIS console with a large hammer to the beat of the music, while shouting.

"Stop!" both the girls shouted. Clara felt bad for the TARDIS. It shouldn't have to go through that kind of abuse. Despite feeling like this, Clara still started laughing her head off as she fell to the floor when the TARDIS stopped.

"1979. Hell of a year!" the Doctor said, standing up. He helped Rose to her feet, then Clara. Clara stumbled a bit, but the Doctor grabbed her, pulling her close to him. Rose looked between the two, smirking, before the Doctor seemed to snap out of it. He grabbed both girls' hands and they bounded to the doors.

The Doctor grabbed his jacket as they went past, saying, "China invades Vietnam...The Muppet Movie! Love that film. Margaret Thatcher...urgh...Skylab falls to Earth...with a little help from me...nearly took off my thumb."

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS with both the girls behind him.

"I like my thumb, I need my thumb. I'm very attached to..." Clara was giggling as the Doctor said this, but immediately stopped when they noticed that they were surrounded by Scottish soldiers. Guns were pointed at them from every direction. The Doctor put up his hands and right away, so to Rose and Clara.

"...my thumb," the Doctor finished his previous sentence. Clara gulped as a gun clicked at them.

"1879. Same difference," the Doctor said.

"No it's not," Clara scowled.

"You will explain your presence. And the nakedness of these girls," Captain Reynolds said. Rose and Clara both looked down at themselves, then at each other.

"Naked?" Clara mouthed at her cousin. Sure, her skirt was short, but she was also wearing the leopard-print tights.

"Are we in Scotland?" the Doctor asked in a Scottish accent. Clara mentally swooned.

"How can you be ignorant of that?" Captain Reynolds asked.

"Oh, I'm—I'm dazed and confused. I've been chasing these...these wee naked children over hill and over dale. In't that right, ya...timorous beasties?" the Doctor asked, still using the Scottish accent.

Clara was sure she was drooling. Well, mentally, of course. Her mind was blank, so Rose answered for her in a horrible attempt at a Scottish accent.

"Ooch, aye! We've been oot and aboot," Rose said, after sending a smirk at her cousin, who was still staring at the Doctor, amazed.

"No, don't do that," the Doctor told her.

"Hoots mon!" Rose said.

"No, really don't. Really," the Doctor insisted.

"Will you identify yourself, sir?" Captain Reynolds asked the Doctor.

"I'm Doctor James McCrimmon. From the...Township of Balamory. Eh...I have my credentials, if I may..."

Captain Reynolds nodded and the Doctor pulled out his psychic paper and showed it to the soldiers.

"As you can see, a Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. I trained under Doctor Bell himself," the Doctor said.

"Let them approach," a voice from the carriage said.

"I don't think that's wise, ma'am," Captain Reynolds said, still sounding suspicious.

"Let them approach," the voice said again.

Clara glanced at Rose as Captain Reynolds had no choice but to let them pass.

"You will approach the carriage. And show all due deference. Clara let out a quiet giggle as the Doctor gave Captain Reynolds an 'aye, aye, Captain' signal as she, the Doctor, and Rose approached the carriage. Clara's jaw dropped as they found Queen Victoria inside.

"I am so under dressed," she muttered to herself.

"Rose, Clara—might I introduce her Majesty Queen Victoria. Empress of India and Defender of the Faith," the Doctor said.

"Rose Tyler, Ma'am. And my apologies...for being so naked," Rose said, curtseying.

Clara did the same and said, "Clara Tyler, Your Majesty. And I also apologize for being so naked."

She let out a nervous giggle as Queen Victoria said, "I've had five daughters. It's nothing to me. But you, Doctor...show me these credentials."

The Doctor handed her the psychic paper and Queen Victoria studied it for a moment.

"Why didn't you say so immediately? It states clearly here that you have been appointed by the Lord Provost as my Protector," Queen Victoria said.

"Does it?" the Doctor asked. "Yes, it does! Good! Good! Um, then let me ask—why is Your Majesty traveling by road when there's a train all the way to Aberdeen?"

"A tree on the line," the Queen answered.

"An accident?" the Doctor asked.

"I am the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Everything around me tends to be planned," the Queen said.

"An assassination attempt?" the Doctor asked and Clara gasped.

"What, seriously? There's people out to kill ya?" Rose asked.

"I'm quite used to staring down the barrel of a gun," the Queen said.

"Sir Robert MacLeish lives but ten miles hence. We'll send word ahead, he'll shelter us for tonight, then we can reach Balmoral tomorrow," Captain Reynolds said from his horse.

"This Doctor and his...timorous beasties will come with us," the Queen said.

"Yes, Ma'am. We'd better get moving—it's almost nightfall," Captain Reynolds said.

"Indeed," Queen Victoria said. "And there are stories of wolves in these parts. Fanciful tales intended to scare the children. But good for the blood, I think. Drive on!"

Rose grinned at the Doctor and Clara as they went and started walking behind the now moving carriage.

"It's funny though, 'cos you say 'assassination' and you just think of Kennedy and stuff. Not her," Rose said. Clara frowned. Rose and the Doctor seemed to be enjoying this too much. It was horrible.

"1879—she's had—ooh...six attempts on her life? And I'll tell you something else; we just met Queen Victoria!" the Doctor said.

"I know!" Rose said in excitement.

"She's amazing!" Clara said about the Queen.

"What a laugh!" the Doctor said.

"She was just sitting there!" Rose said.

"Like a stamp," the Doctor said.

"I want her to say 'we are not amused'," Rose said in an upper-classed voice. "I bet you both five quid I can make her say it."

"Well, if I gambled on that, it'd be an abuse of my privileges of traveler in time," the Doctor said.

"...Ten quid?" Rose asked.

"Done," the Doctor said.

"You're on," Clara quipped.

Clara was exhausted by the time they pulled up at the Torchwood House.

"Ah, my feet are killin' me," she said, stretching out her legs. What she didn't notice, though (but Rose did) was that the Doctor was looking, no, staring at her legs as she stretched.

A man had come hurrying out of the house with a very bald servant behind him.

"Your Majesty," Sir Robert said, bowing.

"Sir Robert. My apologies for the emergency. And how is Lady Isobel?" Queen Victoria asked.

"She's...indisposed, I'm afraid—she's gone to Edinburgh for the season. And she's taken the cook with her—the kitchens are barely stocked...I wouldn't blame Your Majesty if you wanted to ride on," Sir Robert said.

Clara raised her eyebrows and exchanged looks with the Doctor, who had his head cocked to the side. Sir Robert sure seemed like he was trying to keep them away.

"And please excuse the naked girls," Queen Victoria said.

"Sorry," Rose and Clara said simultaneously.

"They're feral children. I brought them for sixpence apiece in Old London Town. It was them or the Elephant Man, so..." the Doctor said.

Clara elbowed the Doctor, hard, in the ribs.

"Thinks he's funny but I'm so not amused," Rose tried, looking directly at the Queen. "What do you think, Ma'am?"

"It hardly matters," the Queen said. "Shall we proceed?"

Sir Robert nodded and the group made their way into the house.

"So close," Rose said to Clara and the Doctor.

"But no cigar," Clara said, sniggering.

"Makerson and Ramsey, you will escort the Property. Hurry up," Captain Reynolds said.

"Yes, sir," both Makerson and Ramsey said.

"What's in there, then?" the Doctor asked, looking at the small, wooden box the soldiers were taking from the carriage to the house.

"Property of the Crown. You will dismiss any further thoughts, sir," Captain Reynolds said.

Clara grinned at the look the Doctor gave her and Rose.

"The rest of you go to the rear of the house. Assume your designated positions," Captain Reynolds said.

"You heard the orders. Positions, sir," one soldier said.

Clara and Rose followed the Doctor and the others as they headed to the house again. Clara looked around in amazement as she, Rose, the Doctor, Queen Victoria, Sir Robert and a few of the bald servants entered the Observatory. There was a huge telescope in the middle of the room.

"This, I take it, is the famous Endeavor," Queen Victoria said.

"All my father's work. Built by hand in his final years. Became something of an obsession—he spent his money on this rather than caring for the house or himself," Sir Robert said.

"I wish I'd met him, I like him," the Doctor said. "That thing's beautiful—can I um...?"

"Help yourself," Sir Robert said.

Clara lightly ran a hand over the telescope, fascinated by it.

"What did he model it on?" the Doctor asked.

"I know nothing about it," Sir Robert said. "To be honest, most of us thought him a little...shall we say, eccentric."

The Doctor gave a dopey-sounding laugh that made Clara giggle.

"I wish now I'd spent more time with him. And listened to his stories," Sir Robert said.

"It's a bit rubbish," the Doctor said, making Clara and Rose grin.

"How many prisms has it got? Way too many. The magnification's gone right over the top, that's stupid kind of a—am I being rude again?" the Doctor asked quietly to Rose and Clara.

"A bit, yeah," Clara said.

"Yep," Rose said.

"But it's pretty! It's very...pretty," the Doctor said quickly.

Clara let out a laugh and flicked the Doctor's nose.

"And the imagination of it should be applauded," Queen Victoria said.

"Mm! Thought you might disapprove, Your Majesty. Stargazing. Isn't that a bit fanciful?" Rose asked, again trying her luck. Queen Victoria, along with Clara, just started at her.

"You could easily...not be amused, or something...? No?" Rose continued.

"This device surveys the influence work of God," Queen Victoria said.

Clara hid her smirk behind her hand and the Doctor just shook his head at Rose with a smile on his face.

"What could be finer? Sir Robert's father was an example to us all. A polymath. Steeped in astronomy and sciences, yet equally well versed in folklore and fairytales," Queen Victoria said.

"Stars and magic. I like him more and more," the Doctor said.

"Oh, my late husband enjoyed his company," Queen Victoria said. She turned to Rose and Clara. "Prince Albert himself was acquainted with many rural superstitions, coming as he did from Saxe Coburg."

"That's Bavaria," the Doctor whispered in Clara's ear, making her shiver as his breath his her face.

"When Albert was told about your local wolf, he was transported," Queen Victoria said.

"So, what's this wolf, then?" the Doctor asked.

"It's just a story," Sir Robert said.

"Then tell it," the Doctor said.

Clara noticed how Sir Robert looked at the bald servant before speaking.

"It's said that-" Sir Robert, before he was interrupted by the servant.

"Excuse me, sir. Perhaps her Majesty's party could repair to their rooms. It's almost dark," the bald guy said.

"Of course. Yes, of course," Sir Robert said.

"And then supper. And...could we find some clothes for the Miss Tylers? I'm tired of nakedness," Queen Victoria said.

"It's not amusing, is it?" Rose tried again.

Clara had to practically stick a fist in her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Rose poked the Doctor in his chest as he muttered something to her, no doubt, about not getting the Queen to say it.

"Sir Robert," the Queen said, "your wife must've left some clothes. See to it. We shall dine at seven. And talk some more of this wolf. After all...there is a full moon tonight."

"So there is, Ma'am," Sir Robert said, bowing.

Clara was led to a different from from Rose and the Doctor. After disposing of the leather skirt and tube top, but kept on her leopard-print tights as she pulled on a blue dress that had been given to her to wear. Before she could do anything, though, she was grabbed from behind and hit in the head.

Clara slowly woke up after Rose had been shaking her awake and calling her name for five minutes.

"Don't make a sound," Clara dimly heard someone whisper. "They said if we scream or shout, then he will slaughter us."

"But...he's in a cage," Rose said. "He's a prisoner. He's the same as us."

"Wuz goin' on?" Clara slurred, clutching her head.

"He's nothing like us," the other woman said again. "That creature is not mortal."

Clara was now fully awake as Rose pulled her close out of fear. Clara's eyes widened in terror as she observed the man sitting in the cage, staring at them like food, with black eyes.

Rose then stood up and approached the cage.

"Rose!" Clara hissed at her cousin, seeing that the man seemed to scream 'danger!'

"Don't, child," Lady Isobel said.

Rose ignored the two of them, and edged closer to the man in the cage.

"Who are you?" Rose asked.

"Don't enrage him," the steward of the house said.

"Where are you from? You're not from Earth. What planet are you from?" Rose continued, still ignoring everyone.

"Ohhh...intelligence..." the man in the cage said.

"Where were you born?" Rose asked.

"This body...ten miles away...a weakling, heartsick boy. Stolen away at night by the brethren from my cultivation. I carved out his soul and sat in his heart," the Host said.

"All right...so the body's human...but what about you? The thing inside?" Rose asked.

"So far from home," the Host said.

"If you wanna get back home, we can help," Rose said, gesturing to herself and Clara.

"Why would I leave this place? A world of industry, of workforce and warfare. I could turn it to such purpose," the Host said.

"How would you do that?" Rose asked.

"I would migrate to the Holy Monarch," the Host answered.

"You mean Queen Victoria?" Rose asked.

"With one bite, I would pass into her blood. And then it begins. The Empire of the Wolf! So many questions..."

He suddenly lunged forward and everyone jumped back in terror. Rose stumbled back into Clara, who had jumped up, intent on protecting her cousin.

"Look! Inside your eyes! You've both seen it too!" the Host said, looking at the girls.

"Seen what?" Rose questioned, while Clara looked confused.

"The Wolf! There is something of the Wolf about you!" The Host pointed at Clara. Her eyebrows were together in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" Clara asked.

"You burnt like the sun, but all I require is the moon," the Host said.

Clara and Rose both stepped back in fear as the cellar doors were thrown open and moonlight came in and went over the Host's cage.

"Moonlight..." he said, pressing his face against the bars. Clara looked at him in confusion as the Host took off his cloak, still grasping the bars of the cage.

"All of you! Stop looking at it! Flora, don't look—listen to me. Grab hold of the chain and pull!" Rose insisted urgently.

It was only really then that Clara realized that she was chained up in cuffs with the other prisoners.

"Come on! With me! Pull!" Rose insisted. Clara grabbed hold of the chain that was around her wrist and tugged on it.

"C'mon!" she told Lady Isobel, who was staring at the man in fear. There were growling sounds coming from the cage, but Clara ignored it.

"I said pull!" Rose said. "Stop your whining and listen to me! All of you! And that means you, your Ladyship! Now come on—pull!"

Clara stood up and helped Lady Isobel to her feet and started pulling on the chain to try and get it free. Clara still tried to ignore the sounds coming from the cage, but the man was screaming, as if in pain. She was going to turn around in concern, but then the screams turned into growls like that of a wolf. She started tugging on the chain even harder then.

"...three..." Rose counted. "Pull!"

"One...two...three...pull!" Rose said again. They were all pulling now, trying to detach it from the wall.

By then, the werewolf was fully there, and the man was gone. After another hard tug, the chain came free. At that same instant, the Doctor kicked down the cellar door.

"Where the hell have you been?" Rose asked.

The Doctor seemed to ignore all the prisoners and stared at the werewolf in the cage.

"Oh, that's beautiful!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"Not when it's ripping your face off!" Clara shot back, helping the prisoners to their feet.

"Get out!" Sir Robert yelled to his wife. The wolf started to bend and break the bars, tearing the cage apart. The Doctor seemed to realize that there were other people in the room and that they were in danger.

"Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out!" the Doctor shouted to everyone.

"Come on..." Rose said, tugging on Clara's arm.

Clara was regretting changing out of her skirt, as she had to hike up her dress to even run. She was glad, though, that she had kept on her Converse for the running.

The Doctor finally left the room, after staring at the wolf, and locked the door with his sonic screwdriver.

Once they were out of immediate danger, the Doctor turned to first Rose, then Clara and used the sonic screwdriver to undo their cuffs. The Doctor gently took Clara's hands in his own as re relieved her of the cuffs.

"Thank you," she said softly, smiling at him.

"It could be any form of light modulated species triggered by specific wavelengths—did it say what it wanted?" the Doctor said really fast, asking Rose and Clara.

"The Queen, the Crown, the throne—you name it," Rose said.

"It wanted to pass on the curse," Clara said.

There was some thumping noises coming from the hallway, so the Doctor went to investigate. He came back quickly, grabbing Rose's and Clara's hands and pulled them behind the men that had armed themselves with guns.

"Fire!" the steward said. They all shot at the the wolf, who stumbled.

"Fire!" the steward shouted again.

Rose and Clara both flinched again as they fired. Clara started coughing as the room was quickly filled with smoke from the guns. There was no sign of the wolf, though.

"All right, you men, we should retreat upstairs, come with me," the Doctor said.

"I'll not retreat," the steward said. "The battle's done. There's no creature on God's Earth that could survive such an assault."

"I'm telling you, come upstairs!" the Doctor said angrily.

"And I'm telling you, sir, that I will sleep well tonight with that thing's hide upon my wall," the steward said.

He went across the room to look down the corridor where the wolf was last seen. The steward didn't see anything and turned back, looking smug and triumphant.

"Must've crawled away to die—" the steward said, but was cut off. He was lifted in the air and through the ceiling by the wolf and Clara gave a scream of fright. She covered her ears to block out the sounds of the poor steward being eaten.

"There's nothing we can do!" the Doctor shouted, grabbing and pulling both Rose and Clara from the room with him. Clara was terrified as not all of the soldiers made it out and she could hear them dying.

The Doctor pushed both the girls into a room with Sir Robert and locked the door with his sonic screwdriver.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" Sir Robert called out.

"Sir Robert! What's happening?" Queen Victoria asked, coming down the stairs.

Clara flinched in fear as the Doctor dashed off somewhere, leaving her and Rose with the Queen and Sir Robert.

"I heard such terrible noises," Queen Victoria said.

"Your Majesty—we've got to get out. But what of Father Angelo? Is he still here?" Sir Robert asked.

"Captain Reynolds disposed of him," Queen Victoria said.

"The front door's not good, it's been boarded shut," the Doctor said, returning, much to the relief of Clara, who clung to him. "Pardon me, Your Majesty—you'll have to leg it out of a window."

The Doctor gestured through a door off to the side and Queen Victoria went with her head high. Sir Robert and both the girls followed her.

"Excuse my manners, Ma'am, but I shall go first, the better to assist Her Majesty's egress," Sir Robert said.

"A noble sentiment, my Sir Walter Raleigh," Queen Victoria said.

"Yeah, any chance you could hurry up?" the Doctor asked impatiently.

"I little bit rude, sweetie," Clara observed to him. The Doctor just gave her a look.

Sir Robert climbed out of the window, but had to dodge back inside as the Monks standing outside shot at the window.

"I reckon the monkey boys want us to stay inside," the Doctor said.

"Do they know who I am?" the Queen asked.

"Yeah, that's why they want ya," Rose said. "The wolf's lined you up for a...a biting."

"Now, stop this talk. There can't be an actual wolf," Queen Victoria said.

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, there was a howl that went through the house.

"What do we do?" Rose asked as they went out in the hallway. The wolf was battering down the door to try and get to them.

"We...run!" the Doctor said.

"Is that it?" Rose asked.

"Got a better one?" Clara asked.

"Better yet, you got any silver bullets?" the Doctor asked.

"Not on me, no!" Rose shouted back.

"There we are then, we run. Your Majesty, as a Doctor, I recommend a vigorous jog," the Doctor said, then which demonstrated by jogging in place.

"Good for the health," the Doctor said. "Come on!"

Clara felt a stab of jealousy as the Doctor grabbed the Queen's hand and started running. They left the room and headed up the staircase. Clara thought her legs were going to fall off by the time they reached the top.

"Come on! Come on!" the Doctor shouted, urging them to hurry, as the wolf was starting up the stairs behind them.

When they got to the top, they started down the corridor. Clara glanced behind her, needing to see how close the wolf was and shrieked as it started to pounce on them. They were saved just in time by Captain Reynolds, who shot the wolf. The Doctor grabbed Clara's hand and tugged her around the corner where the others were standing, out of breath.

"I'll take this position and hold it," Captain Reynolds said, ducking around the corner. "You keep moving! Your Majesty—I went to look for the property, it was taken. The chest was empty."

"I have it. It's safe," Queen Victoria said.

"Then remove yourself, Ma'am. Doctor, you stand as Her Majesty's Protector. And you, Sir Robert—you're a traitor to the crown," Captain Reynolds said, cocking his gun.

"Bullets can't stop it!" the Doctor said.

"They'll buy you time. Now, run!" Captain Reynolds said.

Clara saw of Captain Reynolds, as he was positioning himself at the end of the corridor, just waiting for the wolf.

"Rose, c'mon," Clara called to her cousin, who had stopped outside the library door. Clara went to pull Rose back in, but saw a sight that has her pause in fear. Captain Reynolds was shooting at the werewolf, but didn't move quick enough as the werewolf pounced on him and started to tear him apart.

"Rose! Clara!" the Doctor shouted for them. He ran into the corridor, grabbed them both by the waist and yanked them into the library, just in time to slam the door as the wolf arrived.

Clara rushed around quickly with Rose, the Doctor, and Sir Robert to barricade the door with the chairs and bits of wood that were in the room.

"Wait a minute, shh, shh, wait a minute..." the Doctor said, stopping them. Clara could hear a wolf howl and shuddered.

"It's stopped," the Doctor said. He climbed up on a chair and pressed his ear against the door.

"It's gone," the Doctor said.

Clara froze as she heard footsteps on the other side of the door.

"Listen..." Rose said.

"It's still there," Clara cried in alarm.

The Doctor climbed down from the chair and they were all silent as they listened to the wolf circle around the whole room. Clara put a reassuring hand on the Queen's arm as she saw Her Majesty was shaking.

"Is this the only door?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes," Sir Robert said. "No!"

He dashed to the other door and the Doctor helped him barricade it.

"Shh!" Rose hissed, quieting them. Clara was still holding onto the Queen's arm as they listened to the sounds the werewolf was making—and then it stopped completely. The footsteps disappeared into the distance then.

"I don't understand," Rose said. "What's stopping it?"

"Something inside this room," the Doctor said.

Sir Robert went over and sat in one of the chairs that were barricading the door. Clara felt like sinking to the floor in exhaustion.

"What is it?" the Doctor wondered, confused. "Why can't it get in?"

"I'll tell yo what, though..." Rose said.

"What?" the Doctor and Clara both asked her. Clara a little wary.

"Werewolf...!" Rose said.

"I know!" the Doctor said. Clara let out a giggle as Rose laughed. The Doctor gathered both the girls up in a hug.

"You two all right?" he asked.

"I'm okay, yeah!" Rose said.

"Just fine, Sweetie," Clara said, smiling at him.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am," Sir Robert said from behind them. "It's all my fault. I should've sent you away. I tried to suggest something was wrong, I...thought you might notice. Did you think there was nothing strange about my household staff?"

"Well," the Doctor said, "they were bald, athletic...your wife's away, I just thought you were happy."

"I'll tell you what though, Ma'am, I bet you're not amused now," Rose said, yet again, trying.

"Oh, Rose," Clara muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Do you think this is funny?" the Queen asked angrily.

"No, Ma'am, I'm sorry," Rose said.

"What, exactly, I pray someone please—what exactly is that creature?" the Queen asked.

The Doctor scratched his head and said, "You'd call it a werewolf, but technically it's more of a lupine wavelength haemovariform."

"And should I trust you, sir? You who change your voice so easily? What happened to your accent?" the Queen questioned.

"Oh...right, sorry-" the Doctor said, realizing he had dropped his Scottish accent.

"I'll not have it. No, sir—not you...not that thing...none of it. This is not my world," the Queen said.

"It's all right, Your Majesty," Clara tried to reassure her. "The Doctor'll get us out of here alive."

The Queen just gave her a non-trusting look before turning away. The Doctor wandered over to the door again and touched the woodwork.

"Mistletoe...Sir Robert, did your father put that there?" the Doctor asked, showing them the carving of the mistletoe.

"I don't know, I suppose..." Sir Robert said.

"On the other door...a carving wouldn't be enough...I wonder..." the Doctor said, thinking out loud. Clara crinkled her nose as the Doctor licked the wood.

"Eww...gross," she said.

"Viscum album, the oil of the mistletoe—it's been worked into the wood like varnish! How clever was your dad? I love him!" the Doctor ranted, then turned to Rose and Clara and said, "Powerful stuff, mistletoe. Bursting with lectins and viscotoxins."

"And the wolf's allergic to it?" Rose said.

"Kinda like silver," Clara said.

"Well, it thinks it is," the Doctor answered. "The monkey monk monks need a way of controlling the wolf, maybe they trained it to react against certain things."

"Nevertheless, that creature won't give up, Doctor, and we still don't possess an actual weapon," Sir Robert said.

"Oh, your father got all the brains, didn't he?" the Doctor said.

"Being rude again," Rose said.

"Good," the Doctor said. "I meant that one."

"Be nice, Sweetie," Clara said, slapping his arm. The Doctor wandered over to the book shelves.

"You want weapons? We're in a library. Books! Best weapons in the world," the Doctor said, putting his glasses on. Clara mentally swooned at the sight of his sexy nerd look.

"This room's the greatest arsenal we could have," the Doctor said. He pulled some books off the shelf and chucked them at Rose and Clara.

"Arm yourselves," he said.

For the next few minutes, the Doctor, Rose, Clara, and Sir Robert flicked through book after book, trying to find anything of use. Clara had ripped off the bottom of her dress to make it easier to run later on, so now her leopard-print tights were not showing.

"This book is just rubbish on exploration," Clara said, tossing one aside.

"Biology, zoology...there might be something on wolves in here..." Rose said, glancing though one book.

"Hold on, what about this?" the Doctor said, tossing another book at Rose. Clara pulled another book off the pile and started going though it.

"Hang on, this one's on astrology," she said. "No, wait. It's only constellations and star charts."

"...some form of explosive..." Sir Robert said, flicking through his book.

"Hmm, that's the sort of thing. Ooh..." the Doctor said, jumping down from the ladder he had been climbing, holding a book triumphantly. He set it down on the table and announced, "Look what your old dad found. Something fell to Earth."

In the open book in front of them was an illustration of a rock falling to the Earth. Clara moved in closer with Sir Robert and Rose.

"A spaceship?" Rose guessed.

"A meteor?" Clara said.

"A shooting star," Sir Robert clarified, as if it made a difference. He started reading from the page. "'In the year of our Lord, 1540, under the reign of King James the Fifth, an almighty fire did burn in the pit.' That's the Glen of Saint Catherine just by the Monastery."

"But that's over three hundred years ago. What's it been waiting for?" Rose asked.

"Surely not for Queen Victoria to come to power?" Clara said, glancing at said Queen.

"Maybe just a single cell survived. Adapting slowly down the generations. It survived through the humans. Host after host after host," the Doctor said.

"But why does it want the throne?" Sir Robert asked.

"That's what it wants. It said so, the...the Empire of the Wolf," Rose said. "Right Clara?"

Clara nodded solemnly. "That's what it said," she said.

"Imagine it...the Victorian Age accelerated...starships and missiles fueled by coal and driven by steam...leaving history devastated in it's wake..." the Doctor said with foreboding.

"Sir Robert!" Queen Victoria said suddenly, standing. Sir Robert quickly stood and went over to her. "If I am to die here..."

"Don't say that, Your Majesty," Sir Robert interrupted her.

"I would destroy myself rather than let that creature infect me. But that's no matter. I ask only that you find some place of safekeeping for something far older and more precious than myself," the Queen said, opening her bag.

"Hardly the time to worry about your valuables," the Doctor said.

"Thank you for your opinion. But there is nothing more valuable than this," the Queen said, pulling out the Koh-I-Noor from her bag. Clara's eyes widened in amazement.

"Is that the Koh-I-Noor?" Rose asked, just as amazed.

"Oh, yes...the greatest diamond in the world," the Doctor said. Clara felt herself automatically getting closer for a look.

"Given to me as the spoils of war," Queen Victoria said. "Perhaps its legend is now coming true. It is said that whoever owns it must surely die."

"Well, that's true of anything if you own it long enough," the Doctor said. "Can I...?"

He held out his hand and the Queen placed the huge diamond in them. Clara gently ghosted a finger over the diamond, slightly afraid to touch it.

"That is so beautiful," the Doctor said, looking at it with his glasses pushed down.

"How much is that worth?" Rose questioned.

"They say...the wages of the entire planet for a whole week," the Doctor said.

"That's a lot," Clara breathed, eye widening.

"Good job our mum's not here," Rose said, smiling slightly at Clara. "She'd be fighting the wolf off with her bare hands for that thing."

"And she'd win," the Doctor said.

"Bloody hell, yes she would," Clara said, making Rose laugh.

"Where is the wolf?" Sir Robert asked, breaking up their moment. "I don't trust this silence."

"Why do you travel with it?" the Doctor asked Queen Victoria, ignoring Sir Robert.

"My annual pilgrimage. I'm taking it to Helier and Carew. The Royal Jewelers at Hazelhead. The stone needs re-cutting," the Queen said.

"Oh, but it's perfect," Rose insisted, and Clara nodded, agreeing.

"My late husband never thought so," the Queen said.

The Doctor took off his glasses and said, "Now, there's a fact—Prince Albert kept on having the Koh-I-Noor cut down. It used to be forty percent bigger than this. But he was never happy. Kept on cutting and cutting."

"He always said...the shine was not quite right. But he died with it still unfinished," Queen Victoria said.

"Unfinished...oh, yes!" the Doctor exclaimed, realizing something.

"What is it?" Clara asked, as the Doctor tossed the Koh-I-Noor back to Queen Victoria, who looked startled.

"There's a lot of unfinished business in this house. His father's research—your husband, Ma'am, he came here and he sought the perfect diamond—hold on, hold on—all these separate things, they're not separate at all, they're connected! Oh, my head, my head! What if—this house, it's a trap for you—is that right, Ma'am?" the Doctor spat out quickly, ruffling his hair so it stood up even more.

"Obviously," the Queen answered.

"At least, that's what the wolf intended. But! What if there's a trap inside the trap?" the Doctor asked.

"What d'you mean, Doctor?" Clara asked, confused.

"Explain yourself, Doctor," the Queen said, nodding with Clara's question.

"What if his father and your husband weren't just telling each other stories. They dared to imagine all this was true. And they planned against it. Laying the real trap not for you...but for the wolf," the Doctor summarized.

Clara sneezed as some dust came down and landed on her nose. They all looked up to see the wolf walking around over the glass dome that was over their heads. The wolf was looking down at them and was growling.

"That wolf there..." the Doctor said.

The glass underneath the wolf started to crack, so the Doctor, Rose, and Clara threw down their books and started running with Queen Victoria behind them. Clara paused for a second to push the Queen in front of her, ensuring her safety.

"Out! Out! Out!" the Doctor yelled. The werewolf crashed through the glass. They tore down the barricade they had built earlier. After pushing the Queen and Clara through the doorway, the Doctor slammed the door closed.

Clara was suddenly glad that she had thought ahead to tear her dress as the five of them ran down the corridor.

"Gotta get to the observatory!" the Doctor shouted to them.

They headed around a corner and suddenly, Rose was transfixed by the werewolf.

"Rose!" Clara shouted, looking between her cousin and the wolf. Just as the wolf was going to jump on Rose, Lady Isobel appeared, throwing a pan full of water on the werewolf. Rose screamed out, but the werewolf bounded back down the corridor.

"Good shot!" the Doctor commented to Lady Isobel.

"It was mistletoe!" Lady Isobel said.

"Doctor!" Clara cried as the Doctor followed the wolf down the corridor a little ways.

"Isobel!" Sir Robert called, upon seeing his wife. Clara looked away as he and Lady Isobel kissed. She missed _her_ Doctor. The last one. The one that she was in love with. She knew that this Doctor was the same man, but she didn't know how he felt for her now that he was changed. What she missed the most was the relationship she had with the previous Doctor.

Rose had followed the Doctor down the hall to make sure the wolf really had gone, so Clara stood there awkwardly in the hallway for a moment. Lady Isobel and the maids headed back downstairs after Sir Robert told his wife to.

"Come on!" the Doctor said, grabbing Clara's hand on his way past her, pulling her down the corridor with him. Clara's heart fluttered at his touch and squeezed his hand more tightly.

"The observatory's this way!" Sir Robert said, leading them up the main staircase.

"No mistletoe on these doors," the Doctor said as they reached the observatory. "Your father wanted the wolf to get inside! Get inside I just need time! Is there any way of barricading this!"

"Just do your work and I'll defend it," Sir Robert said.

"If we could bind them shut with rope or something!" the Doctor said, ignoring Sir Robert.

"I said I'd find you time, sir," Sir Robert said, determined.

"But your wife-" Clara said, looking at him open-mouthed.

"Now get inside," Sir Robert interrupted.

"Good man," the Doctor said, after looking at him for a moment.

Sir Robert shut the door behind him, locking them inside for the time being.

"Your Majesty, the diamond," the Doctor addressed Queen Victoria.

"For what purpose?" the Queen questioned.

"The purpose it was designed for," the Doctor said. Queen Victoria hesitantly pulled the diamond from her bag and handed it to the Doctor. He then turned and ran over to the telescope.

"Rose! Clara!" he called out. They both instantly ran to him.

"Lift it! Come on!" the Doctor said. Rose, Clara, and the Doctor struggled to turn the wheel, but the cogs finally started to slowly but surly turn and the telescope started to rise.

"Is this the right time for stargazing?" Rose asked sarcastically as they turned the wheel.

"Yes, it is," the Doctor said.

"Always is," Clara joked.

Clara's smile faded, though, as they heard Sir Robert screaming outside as he was devoured by the wolf. Instantly sober, Clara nearly lost her grip on the wheel. Silent tears were going down her cheeks at the thought of another life lost.

"You said this thing doesn't work!" Rose exclaimed.

"It doesn't work as a telescope because that's not what it is!" the Doctor said. "It magnifies the light rays like a weapon. We've just got to power it up!"

"But there's no electricity!" Rose said.

"Then it's got to be some other way!" Clara said. "It's got to work!"

The Doctor just grunted and turned to the light chamber.

"Moonlight!" Rose exclaimed, figuring it out. "But it needs moonlight! It's made by moonlight!"

"Of course!" Clara said, her eyes lighting up in recognition.

"You're seventy percent water but you can still drown," the Doctor told them. "Come on!"

The 'telescope' was then aligned properly and Rose, Clara, and the Doctor stepped back. Moonlight bounced off the prisms that were in the telescope, just as the werewolf broke down the door behind them. Clara whirled around, gasping and pulled Rose behind her, to protect her.

The werewolf paid the girls no mind, but instead, headed towards the Queen. The Doctor jumped into action, throwing the Koh-I-Noor into the beam of light. The prisms directed the light onto the werewolf, who was lifted off the floor.

"Make it brighter. Let me go," the Host said, after turning back into a human.

The Doctor walked slowly to the light chamber and flicked a switch. The wolf let out one final howl before it disappeared all together. Clara gave out a shuddering cry of relief, before falling to her knees wearily. The Doctor walked over to the Queen, who was holding a bandage to her wrist.

"Your Majesty? Did it bite you?" the Doctor asked.

"No, it's...it's a cut," Queen Victoria said.

"If that thing bit you..." the Doctor said.

"It was a splinter of wood when the door came apart," the Queen answered.

"Let me see," the Doctor insisted.

"It is nothing," the Queen repeated, pulling her wrist sharply away from him. The Doctor just started at her, as if not believing her.

Clara felt a bit odd in her cut off at the knee dress, her leopard-print tights, and her Converse, with her hair in wild, crazy, red curls, kneeling with the Doctor and Rose in front of Queen Victoria.

"By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee: Sir Doctor of TARDIS," Queen Victoria said, tapping his shoulders with a sword.

"By the power invested in my by the Church and the State, I dub thee: Dame Rose of the Powell Estate," the Queen said, tapping Rose's shoulders.

"By the power invested in my by the Church and the State, I dub thee: Dame Clara of the Powell Estate," Queen Victoria said, tapping Clara's shoulders with the sword.

"You will stand," the Queen said.

Clara stood up wearily with the Doctor and Rose.

"Many thanks, Ma'am," the Doctor said. Clara grinned at him.

"Thanks! They're never going to believe this back home," Rose said.

"They never believe anything back home," Clara said, grinning at her cousin.

"Your Majesty, you said last night about receiving a message from the great beyond; I think your husband cut that diamond to save your life. He's protecting you even now, Ma'am, even from beyond the grave," the Doctor said.

"Indeed," Queen Victoria said. "Then you may think on this, also: that I am not amused."

The Doctor and Clara both groaned whilst Rose looked happy.

"Yes!" Rose exclaimed.

"Not remotely amused," Queen Victoria said.

Clara had to hide her smirk as Rose made an effort to get rid of hers.

"And henceforth...I banish you," Queen Victoria said.

"I'm sorry...?" the Doctor asked, as he, Rose, and Clara looked confused and stunned.

"I rewarded you, Sir Doctor," Queen Victoria said. "And now you are exiled from this empire, never to return. I don't know what you are, the three of you, or where you're from, but I know that you consort with stars—and magic—and think it fun. But your world is steeped in terror and blasphemy and death and I will not allow it! You will leave these shores and you will reflect, I hope, on how you managed to stray so far from all that is good. And how much longer you will survive this...terrible life."

Clara looked down at her shoes. She felt like a small child that was being scolded by a parent.

"Now leave my world," the Queen said. "And never return."

Clara, Rose, and the Doctor had high-tailed it out of there as fast as they could. They caught a ride back to the TARDIS on the back of a farmer's cart. Clara nearly fell asleep on the Doctor's shoulder on the ride back, but he shook her as they arrived.

"Woah!" the farmer called to stop the cart.

"Cheers, Dougal!" the Doctor called to the farmer as they jumped off the back.

Clara hung onto the Doctor's arm as they walked back to the TARDIS.

"You know, the funny thing is, Queen Victoria did actually suffer a mutation of the blood! It's historical record haemophiliac. It used to be called the Royal Disease! But it's always been a mystery because she didn't inherit it. Her mum didn't have it, her dad didn't have it—it came from nowhere!" the Doctor said.

"What, you're saying that's a wolf bite?" Rose asked.

"Or a scratch," Clara said.

"Well, maybe Haemophilia is just a Victorian euphemism," the Doctor said.

"For werewolf?" Rose asked.

"Could be!" the Doctor said.

"Queen Victoria's a werewolf?" Rose said.

"Seriously?" Clara asked.

"Could be! And, her children had the Royal Disease. Maybe she gave them a quick nip," the Doctor said.

"So, they Royal Family are werewolves?" Rose asked.

"Well, maybe not yet. I mean, a single wolf cell could take...a hundred years to mature...might be ready by—ooh...early 21st century...?" the Doctor said.

"Nah! That's just ridiculous! Mind you...Princess Anne...!" Rose said.

"No way!" Clara exclaimed.

"I'll say no more," the Doctor said.

"And if you think about it...they're very private. They plan everything in advance. They—they could schedule themselves around the moon—we'd never know!" Rose said.

Clara laughed and scoffed, "That is ridiculous!"

The Doctor laughed and opened the TARDIS doors, ushering them inside.

"They like hunting!" Rose continued. "They love blood sports!"

Clara and the Doctor both laughed as Rose continued. The Doctor flipped some switches and the TARDIS started to dematerialize.

"Oh, my gosh, they're werewolves!" Rose exclaimed.

All three of them laughed out loud at the thought as the TARDIS completely vanished.


	17. School Reunion

_How did I let the Doctor talk me into this one_? Clara thought to herself, as she cleaned yet another toilet. The Doctor, getting a tip from Mickey about noticing something funny about a school, had decided for the three of them, herself, the Doctor, and her cousin, Rose, to go undercover in the school to see what the problem was.

The Doctor was the lucky one. He was sitting comfortably in a classroom, teaching Physics (which she knew almost nothing about, as she didn't pay attention in her classes) to young people. Clara would've even taken Rose's job, as a dinner lady. Instead, the Doctor had found a job for her as a cleaning lady. That meant she spent most of her day cleaning all the lady's loos.

She smiled briefly as she finished the bathroom she was cleaning, then frowned as she remembered she had another two floors to go. Grumbling to herself, she packed up her cleaning supplies and headed down to the second floor.

The only chance she got to see Rose or the Doctor during the day was during lunch time, which she luckily happened to share with the Doctor.

Flinging her rubber gloves in the rubbish bin, she put the cleaning cart in the janitor closet (where the TARDIS happened to be; she was the only thing that kept it hidden) and headed to the lunch room. The Doctor was already there, with Rose hanging out at the table.

Clara grabbed herself a tray of chips and joined the Doctor at the table.

"Absolute rubbish day," she said, eating as many chips as she could. "And it's not even finished yet! How much longer we gonna be here, Sweetie?" she asked the Doctor.

"Don't know," he said, eating a chip, then looking at it oddly.

"Two days, we've been here," Rose said.

"Two rubbish days," Clara added.

"Blame your boyfriend, he's the one who put us onto this," the Doctor said. "And he was right. Boy in class this morning—got a knowledge way beyond planet Earth."

"You eating those chips?" Rose asked the Doctor, who hadn't touched the chips.

"Yeah, they're a bit...different," the Doctor said.

"You're a bit different," Clara retorted. "These chips are brilliant!"

"I think they're gorgeous," Rose said, helping herself to one of the Doctor's chips. "Wish I had school dinners like this."

"Right?" Clara asked. "Our were terrible."

Rose sat herself down by Clara.

"It's very well behaved, this place," the Doctor said, looking around the canteen.

"Mm," Rose said, her mouth full of chips.

"Lot different from ours," Clara said, eating more chips.

"I thought there'd be happy-slapping hoodies. Happy-slapping hoodies with ASBOs. Happy-slapping hoodies with ASBOs and ringtones," the Doctor said. He started at Rose and Clara impressively.

"Yeah? Yeah? Oh, yeah! Don't tell me I don't fit in," the Doctor said. Clara giggled, trying not to choke on her chips.

A dinner lady walked up to their table then and scolded Rose.

"You're not permitted to leave your station during a sitting," the dinner lady said to her.

"I was just talking to this teacher and cleaning lady," Rose said, standing up.

"Hello!" the Doctor said.

"He doesn't like the chips," Rose said.

"The menu has been specifically designed by the headmaster to improve concentration and performance. Now, get back to work," the dinner lady said.

Clara giggled as the dinner lady left, then frowned as she realized she was out of chips.

"See?" Rose said to mostly the Doctor. "This is me. The dinner lady."

"I'll have the crumble," the Doctor said.

"I'll have some pie," Clara said, grinning.

"I'm so gonna kill you both," Rose said.

The Doctor and Clara grinned at each other as Rose returned to her station. Clara absentmindedly helped herself to the Doctor's chips, before going back to work herself.

Clara sighed in relief as her day was over. By that, it meant that she had to hide in the janitor's closet until she had to let the Doctor, Rose, and Mickey in. She had the keys, being a cleaning lady and all.

"Oh, it's weird seeing school at night. It just feels wrong," Rose said, after Clara had let them in.

"It's kind of creepy," Clara said.

"When I was a kid, I used to think all the teachers slept in school," Rose said.

"I think every kid thought that, Rosie," Clara said, giggling.

"All right, team," the Doctor said. "Oh, I hate people who say 'team.' Um...'gang.' Um...'comrades.' Uh...anyway, Rose, Clara, go to the kitchens and get a sample of that oil. Mickey, the new staff are all Maths teachers, go and check out the Maths department. I'm gonna look in Finch's office. Be back here in ten minutes."

The Doctor disappeared up the stairs then.

"You gonna be all right?" Rose asked Mickey. Clara, not wanting to be with the two lovebirds, headed towards the kitchens before Rose.

Clara took out a torch and shone it around everywhere. She jumped as the beam went across Rose's face.

"Geez! Rosie, you scared me!" Clara exclaimed.

Rose smirked and said, "Sorry. Let's get that sample, shall we?"

Rose took the lid off of a barrel and spooned out some oil out into a small jar that Clara was holding. A shadow passed over the two of them, as well as a screech. They both looked up, Clara in fear, and Rose startled.

"What was that?" Clara asked.

"I dunno," Rose said. "But let's get back to the Doctor."

Rushing back through the halls to where the Doctor told them to meet, they heard a scream.

"That sounded like Mickey," Clara said in worry. Turning a corner, Clara and Rose run into the Doctor and another woman. Clara, startled and having literally ran into the Doctor, fell to the floor.

"Oof!" she said.

"Did you hear that?" Rose asked, helping her cousin up off the floor.

"It sounded like Mickey," Clara said, dusting herself off.

"Who's she?" Rose asked, noticing Sarah Jane Smith for the first time.

"Rose, Clara, Sarah Jane! Sarah Jane, Rose and Clara," the Doctor said.

Rose glanced at Clara, trying to see what her reaction was. To her surprise, Clara held out her hand.

"How do you do?" she asked, shaking Sarah Jane's hand. Rose then shakes her hand.

"Hi," Sarah Jane said, with a fake smile. "Nice to meet you both. You can tell you're getting older—your assistants are getting younger."

"We're not his assistants," Rose said, outraged. If Clara wasn't going to be upset about her, then she sure as bloody hell was. The Doctor just scratched his ear uncomfortably.

"No? I get you, tiger," Sarah Jane said.

Clara's eyes flashed then.

"We're just traveling with him," Clara spat out as the Doctor sped off suddenly, with the three girls following him.

They found Mickey in a classroom, surrounded by vacuum-packed rats.

"What happened here?" Clara asked, looking at the rats with a wrinkled nose.

"Sorry! Sorry, it was only me. You told me to investigate, so I—I started looking through some of these cupboards and all these fell out of them," Mickey said.

"That's disgusting," Clara said, as the Doctor picked up a few of the rats.

"Oh, my gosh, they're rats," Rose said. "Dozens of rats. Vacuum-packed rats."

"And you decided to scream," the Doctor stated, more than asked.

"It took me by surprise!" Mickey exclaimed.

"Like a little girl?" the Doctor asked him. Clara giggled at that.

"It was dark! I was covered in rats!" Mickey said.

"Nine, maybe ten years old. I'm seeing pigtails, frilly skirt," the Doctor said.

"Hello, can we focus? Does anyone notice anything strange about this? Rats in school?" Rose said.

"Well, obviously they use them in Biology lessons. They dissect them. Or maybe you haven't reached that bit yet. How old are you?" Sarah Jane asked, looking between Rose and Clara.

"I've already left school," Clara said, with a wave of her hand.

"Excuse me, no one dissects rats in school anymore. They haven't done that for years. Where are you from, the dark ages?" Rose asked Sarah Jane.

"Anyway, moving quickly," the Doctor said quickly.

"Break it up, break it up," Clara said, stepping in between Rose and Sarah Jane, who were giving each other dirty looks. "Let's help the Doctor figure this out and argue later, okay?"

The Doctor smiled at Clara, who smiled sweetly back at him. What she didn't notice was Sarah Jane glare at her. Rose noticed and gave Sarah Jane a mean look.

"Everything started when Mr. Finch arrived," the Doctor said, taking Clara's hand with his free non-rat hand. "We should go and check his office."

The Doctor chucked the rat he was holding at Mickey, who dropped it. Clara hung back and walked with Mickey.

"If it's any consolation, I would've screamed, too, Sweetie," Clara told him, patting his arm.

Clara caught up to Rose and linked arms with her.

"I don't mean to be rude or anything, but who exactly are you?" Rose asked Sarah Jane.

"Sarah Jane Smith. I used to travel with the Doctor," Sarah Jane said.

"Oh!" Rose said. "Well, he's never mentioned you."

"Oh, I must've done! Sarah Jane! Mentioned her all the time," the Doctor said.

"Hold on...sorry...never," Rose said, after pretending to think about it for a moment.

"Rose, don't be rude!" Clara exclaimed to her cousin. "Sorry, Sweetie," she said to Sarah Jane.

"What, not even one?" Sarah Jane asked. "He didn't mention me once?"

Rose detached her arm from Clara's and walked off.

"I'm sorry about her," Clara told Sarah Jane. "She's just very protective of me."

"Why?" Sarah Jane asked her.

"I—er, I'll let her tell you," Clara said, speeding up to walk with the Doctor and Mickey.

She just missed what Mickey had said to the Doctor and the look the Doctor had given her. The Doctor took her hand and they walked along the hallway to Mr. Finch's office. The Doctor let go of Clara's hand to pull out his sonic screwdriver. He used it to unlock the office door.

"Maybe those rats were food," the Doctor said.

"Food for what?" Rose asked.

"Some kind of animal?" Clara guessed, as the Doctor peeked his head around the door.

"Rose..." the Doctor said, "you know how you used to think all the teachers slept in the school...? Well...they do."

Four more heads popped around the corner for a peek at bat-like creatures hanging upside down from the ceiling.

"No way," Mickey said, turning around and walking away. Sarah Jane and Rose quickly followed him, but Clara waited for the Doctor to close the door behind them.

"What are those things, Doctor?" Clara asked, as they ran through the hallways.

"I don't know yet," was the answer she got. They followed the others out the front doors of the school.

"I am not going back in there. No way," Mickey said, out of breath.

"Those were teachers!" Rose exclaimed.

"When Finch arrived, he brought with him seven new teachers, four dinner ladies and a nurse. Thirteen. Thirteen big bat people. Come on," the Doctor said, beginning to walk back inside the school again.

"Come on—you've got to be kidding!" Mickey exclaimed.

"I need the TARDIS," the Doctor said. "I've got to analyze that oil from the kitchens."

"I might be able to help you, there," Sarah Jane said. "I've got something to show you!"

Clara fought down her jealousy as Sarah Jane grabbed the Doctor's arm and pulled him off to the car park. She knew that Sarah Jane was an old friend, but she didn't know what had happened between her and the Doctor. She knew that the Doctor had dropped her off one day. Was he going to do that to Clara, as well?

Lost in though, Clara was the last to arrive at Sarah Jane's car.

"Why does he look so...disco?" Rose asked.

Clara peeked her head over and saw a metal dog in the back of Sarah Jane's car.

"Oi!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Listen, in the year five thousand, this was cutting edge! What's happened to him?"

"Oh, one day, he just...nothing!" Sarah Jane said.

"Why didn't you try and get him repaired?" the Doctor asked.

"What is it?" Clara asked Mickey and Rose, making them both jump.

"That's K-9," Mickey explained to her. "One of the Doctor's old friends, I expect."

"Oh, that explains so much, thanks," Clara said sarcastically.

"Hey, it's not my fault you weren't here," Mickey snapped before saying, "Sorry Clara. Didn't mean it."

"It's alright, Mickey," Clara said, patting his arm. "I shouldn't've said what I did."

"Look, no offense but could you two just stop petting for a minute? Never mind the tin dog, we're busy!" Rose exclaimed.

The Doctor, Rose, Clara, Sarah Jane, and Mickey went to the nearest chip shop. Clara was feeling left out since the Doctor and Sarah Jane were sitting by the window, working on K-9, and Rose and Mickey were sitting at the counter. She was sitting at her own table, nibbling on some chips, waiting to see what they were gonna do next.

She was suddenly broken out of her thoughts when the Doctor exclaimed, "Oh, hey! Now we're in business!"

"Master!" K-9 said in a robotic voice.

"He recognizes me!" the Doctor said, sounding ecstatic.

"Affirmative," K-9 said.

Clara pushed herself up from her chair and bent over K-9 for a closer look.

"It's amazing," she whispered.

"Thank you, Mistress," K-9 said, making her jump back.

"Rose, give us the oil," the Doctor said.

Rose pulled the small jar of oil out of her bag and handed it to the Doctor. He took the lid off the jar and was just about to dip his finger inside, when Rose said quickly, "I wouldn't touch it, though, that dinner lady got all scalded."

"I'm no dinner lady," the Doctor said. "And I don't often say that."

Clara giggled as the Doctor smeared some of the oil on a sensor that K-9 held out for him.

"Here we go. Come on, boy. Here we go," the Doctor said.

"Oil," K-9 said. "Ex—ex—ex—extract ana—an—analyzing..."

"Listen to it, man!" Mickey exclaimed, looking delighted with K-9. "That's a voice!"

"Careful! That's my dog!" Sarah Jane said.

"He's brilliant!" Clara said, beaming at K-9.

"Confirmation of analysis—substance is Killitane Oil," K-9 said.

"They're Krillitanes," the Doctor said, shocked.

"Is that bad?" Rose asked.

"Must be," Clara said, worried now.

"Very," the Doctor said. "Think of how bad things could possibly be, and add another suitcase full of bad."

"And what are...Krillitanes?" Sarah Jane asked.

"They're a composite race," the Doctor said. "Just like your culture is a mixture of traditions from all sorts of countries—people you've invaded or have been invaded by, you've got bits—bits of Viking, bits of France, bits of whatever—the Krillitanes are the same. An amalgam of the races they've conquered. But they take physical aspects as well. They cherry-pick the best bits from the people they destroy. That's why I didn't recognize them. The last time I saw Krillitanes, they looked just like us except they had really long necks."

"What're they doing here?" Rose said.

"Something horrible, probably," Clara said.

"It's the children," the Doctor realized in horror. "They're doing something to the children."

Jumping into action, the Doctor had Rose, Mickey, and Sarah Jane load K-9 up into the back of Sarah Jane's car again. The Doctor and Clara were behind, cleaning up their mess in the chip shop. Clara had a troubled look on her face as she was thinking hard.

"Doctor," she said hesitantly as they left the chip shop.

"Yes, Clara?" the Doctor asked.

"H—how many people have you had with you? Traveling like Rose and me, I mean?" Clara asked, looking worried.

"Does it really matter?" the Doctor asked her.

"I don't know. It kinda does to me, Sweetie. And I know that Rose is feeling down after finding out that there were others before us," Clara said. She sighed, and said, "I guess it really doesn't matter then, Doctor. Forget I said anything."

With that, she walked towards Mickey and Sarah Jane quickly. Rose, seeing the upset look on her cousin's face, walked up to the Doctor.

"What did you say to her?" Rose demanded of him.

"Nothing," the Doctor frowned. "I didn't say anything."

"You must've to upset her like that," Rose said. "Alright then, how many of us have there been, traveling with you?"

"Does it matter?" the Doctor asked, getting fed up with the questions.

"Yeah, it does, if Clara and I are just the latest in a long line," Rose said, her voice trembling.

"As opposed to what?" the Doctor asked, looking hurt and angry.

"I thought you and Clara were...but I obviously got it wrong. We've all been to the year five billion, right, but this...now this is really seeing the future. You just leave us behind. Is that what you're going to do to me? To Clara?" Rose asked, worried for her cousin. She didn't want her to experience heartbreak from the Doctor.

"No," the Doctor said quickly. "Not to you. Or to Clara."

"But Sarah Jane...you were that close to her once, like you are with Clara, and now...you never even mentioned her. Why not?" Rose asked.

"I don't age," the Doctor said. "I regenerate. But humans decay. You wither and you die. Imagine watching that happen to someone who you-"

He broke off suddenly, realizing what he was about to say.

"What, Doctor?" Rose asked, getting a good idea of what he was going to say.

"You and Clara can spend the rest of your lives with me," the Doctor said, trying to make her understand. "But I can't spend the rest of mine with either of you. I have to live on. Alone. That's the curse of the Time Lords."

Rose's eyes were shining with tears at the thought of the hurt Clara was going to go through when she found out.

Clara was standing by Mickey, who had his arm around her once he had seen she was upset about something, when they noticed the Krillitane on the roof. It screeched and swooped down towards them. Clara went to duck, but reacted too slow.

She let out a scream as she felt clawed hands latch around her waist.

"Doctor!" she screamed out, before they all lost sight of her.

"Let go of me, you wanker!" she randomly screamed out at the Krillitane. I swooped around back to the school, letting go of her when they got close enough to the ground.

"Oof!" Clara cried as she hit the ground hard. Picking herself off the ground, Clara was met by Mr, Finch, who was standing right in front of her.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the new cleaning lady," he sneered.

"I have a name, you know," Clara snarled.

"As if I care," he said, waving in hand dismissively. "You're just here as bait for the dear old Time Lord. If worse comes to worse, you'll be dinner for me and my teachers."

With that, he grabbed her upper arm and pulled her to a spare classroom, and locked her in for the night.

"Oh, and one more thing, my dear," Mr. Finch said.

"What?" Clara snarled.

Mr. Finch leapt at her and Clara felt pain explode in her head, before she passed out.

Waking up groggily, Clara heard voice nearby. Sitting up, she clutched her head, wishing the pain were gone.

"Rosie?" she called out, hearing her cousin's voice.

"Clare Clara? Is that you?" she heard just outside the door.

"Rosie! It's me! Mr. Finch locked me in here," Clara called out.

"Hang on, here's the Doctor," Rose said.

Clara heard the sonic screwdriver outside, before the door swung open. Rose rushed in and pulled her red-haired cousin into a hug. Clara pulled back from Rose, grabbed her hand and said, "Come on! We need to stop the Krillitanes!"

Pulling Clara next door to the IT room they had been working in, the Doctor, Rose, Clara, and Sarah Jane started shooing away children from the room after an announcement had come over the loudspeaker.

"All pupils to class immediately. And would all members of staff congregate in the staff room," they all heard.

"No, no—this classroom's out of bounds," Rose told the students. "You've all gotta go to the South Hall. Of you go, South Hall!"

Clara shut the door after the students left.

"Are you alright?" the Doctor asked Clara.

"I'm fine," she said stiffly, before moving off to stand by Rose.

The Doctor sighed before getting to work on the computers. He had his sonic screwdriver in between his teeth, ripping out handfuls of wires out of a computer and hung them around his neck. Rose and Clara were over in a corner talking quietly and Sarah Jane was watching the Doctor work.

"He said that?" Clara asked in a hurt voice, flicking her eyes over to the man she was in love with.

"Yeah. I'm so sorry, Clara," Rose said.

"It's okay, Sweetie," Clara said, hiding the hurt look on her face with a smile. "It's not like I didn't know it was coming."

Realizing that the Doctor had figured out what was going on in the school, Rose and Clara rejoined the Doctor and Sarah Jane at the computer.

"The Skasis Paradigm," the Doctor said. "They're trying to crack the Skasis Paradigm."

"The Skasis what?" Sarah Jane asked.

"The...God-maker," the Doctor said. "The universal theory. Crack that equation and you've got control of the building blocks of the universe. Time and space and matter, yours to control."

"What, and the kids are like a giant computer?" Rose asked.

"Yes," the Doctor said.

"That's not good," Clara said, frowning. She was going to put her issue with the Doctor behind her to help the children of the school.

"And their learning power is being accelerated by the oil!" the Doctor said. "That oil from the kitchens, it works as a—as a...conducting agent. Makes the kids cleverer."

"But that oil's on the chips," Rose said. "Clara and I have been eating them."

"What's fifty-nine time thirty-five?" the Doctor asked.

"Two thousand and sixty five," Rose and Clara both said.

Clara's jaw dropped and her and Rose exchanged looks.

"Oh, my gosh..." Rose said.

"But why use children?" Sarah Jane questioned. "Can't they use adults?"

"No, it's gotta be children. The God-maker needs imagination to crack it. They're not just using the children's brains to break the code...they're using their souls," the Doctor said.

Clara jumped backwards to shield Rose as Mr. Finch walked into the room.

"Let the lesson begin," Mr. Finch said. "Think of it, Doctor—with the Paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands. We can shape the universe and improve it."

"Oh yeah?" the Doctor said. "The whole of creations with the face of Mr. Finch. Call me old fashioned, but I like things as they are."

"You act like such a radical, and yet all you want to do is preserve the old order. Think of the changes that could be made if this power was used for good," Mr. Finch said.

"What, by someone like you?" the Doctor asked skeptically.

"No...someone like you," Mr. Finch said. The Doctor was stunned into silence for a moment, not expecting that answer.

"The Paradigm gives us power, but you could give us wisdom," Mr. Finch said. "Become a God. At my side. Imagine what you could do—think of the civilizations you could save. Perganon, Assinta...your own people, Doctor. Standing tall. The Time Lords...reborn."

The Doctor still said nothing, staring at Mr. Finch.

"Doctor, don't listen to him," Sarah Jane said.

"And you could be with him throughout eternity," Mr. Finch said, turning to her, Clara, and Rose. Clara knew it was wrong, but she imagined what it would be like if that were possible. "Young...fresh...never wither, never age...never die. Their lives are so fleeting. So many goodbyes. How lonely you must be, Doctor. Join us."

Clara glanced at the Doctor, who was looking at her with a faraway look in his eyes.

"I could save everyone..." the Doctor said.

"Yes," Mr. Finch said.

"I could stop the war..." the Doctor whispered and Mr. Finch smiled.

"No," Sarah Jane said desperately. "The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss—they define us as much as happiness or love. Whether it's a world, or a relationship...everything has its time. And everything ends."

Looking between the Doctor and Sarah Jane in sadness, Clara realized that she was right. Even though she was in love with the Doctor, pain was a part of human lives, alien lives, the universe. Everything had an end. Her time with the Doctor, even her own life had an end.

Yanked out of her sad thoughts, Clara jumped when the Doctor picked up a chair and threw it at the screen that had been displaying the code, shattering it.

"Out!" the Doctor cried.

Grabbing hands with her blonde cousin, Clara dashes out of the classroom, followed by the Doctor and Sarah Jane. At the bottom of the stairs, they met up with Mickey and a student named Kenny.

"What is going on?" Mickey asked.

Nobody got a chance to answer his question, though. Three Krillitanes were half flying, half crawling on the walls through the corridor towards them. The group turned on heel and took off in the opposite direction. When they crossed the canteen to the doors on the other side, Clara desperately tired to pull on the doors, but found them locked.

"They're locked!" she cried.

The Doctor gently pushed her aside and pulled out his sonic screwdriver, just as the Mr. Finch and the Krillitanes burst through the doors of the canteen.

"Are those my teachers?" Kenny asked.

"Yeah. Sorry," the Doctor said.

"Leave the Doctor alive," Mr. Finch said. "As for the others...you can feast."

"Feast on this!" Clara cried, hitting one of the Krillitanes with a metal post, used to separate the lines. The Doctor was trying to beat one off with a chair, while the others were ducking out of the way. Suddenly, a red laser beam shot out into the air, killing a Krillitane. Clara whirled around to find K-9.

"Good job, K-9!" Clara exclaimed.

"Thank you, Mistress!" K-9 said.

"K-9!" Sarah Jane cried.

"Suggest you engage running mode, Mistress," K-9 said.

"Come on!" the Doctor shouted.

More lasers were going off behind them as they started running.

"K-9, hold them back!" the Doctor yelled.

"Affirmative, Master. Maximum defense mode!" K-9 said.

"Come on!" the Doctor shouted, ushering them all through a door. He slammed it shut behind them, locking it with his sonic screwdriver.

Looking around the room, Clara noticed they were in the Physics lab, where the Doctor had been teaching the last few days.

"It's the oil," the Doctor said suddenly. "Krillitane life forms can't handle the oil! That's it! They've changed the physiology so often, even their own oil is toxic to them. How much was there in the kitchens?"

"Barrels of it," Rose said.

Clara unconsciously grabbed the Doctor's arm when she jumped as the Krillitanes started to pound on the door. Realizing what she did, she quickly let go of his arm.

"Okay, we need to get to the kitchens," the Doctor said. "Mickey-"

"What now, hold the coats?" Mickey asked.

"Go with Clara and get all the children unplugged and out of the school. Now then, bats, bats, bats, how do we fight bats?" the Doctor said.

Clara rushed off, taking Mickey's hand (a habit she picked up from the Doctor) as they rushed off to the classrooms to get the children out. Clara let go of Mickey's hand to cover her ears as the fire alarm went off suddenly.

"Argh! That's loud!" she yelled out.

"What?" Mickey yelled back, but she didn't hear exactly what he said.

"What?" she asked.

"Never mind!" Mickey yelled.

Mickey and Clara burst into one of the IT rooms that were full of children.

"Okay, listen everyone—we've gotta get out of here," Mickey said.

"I don't think they can hear us," Clara said, as the children ignored him. Mickey looked closely at one of the computer screens, then waved one hand in front of a student's face, but received no response.

"Can you do anything to stop the code?" Clara asked Mickey, pointing at the head computer.

"I can try," Mickey said. He sat at the computer, typing and trying to stop the code, but no such luck.

"It's not working," he said.

"There's got to be something else!" Clara cried.

"Aha!" Mickey cried, spotting the protective casing that was covering wires, winding around the room.

"It can't be that simple, can it?" Clara asked.

"It's worth a try," Mickey said, pulling the plug the wire ended at. All of the computers went dead and the socket exploded with sparks, making Clara jump back.

The children were now looking around, as if confused.

"Everyone get out, now!" Mickey yelled.

The children immediately jumped to their feet and quickly moved to the door.

"Come on, move! Let's go, let's go!" Mickey said.

"Come on, Sweeties! Let's move quickly," Clara said gently to the scared children.

After freeing the other children in the same way, Clara and Mickey were clutching hands so they wouldn't lose each other in the sea of children.

"Come on, guys!" Mickey called out again. "Let's go, let's go!"

After they got everyone out, Clara wanted to dive to the ground as the school exploded behind them. Clara hugged Mickey tightly, grinning at him before he went to find Rose. Trying to properly breathe, Clara pushed her way out of the crowd of students as they started chanting, "Kenny! Kenny! Kenny!" over and over again.

Edging around the crowd to find everyone, Clara finally found the Doctor and Sarah Jane. Sarah Jane seemed to be crying and the Doctor had his arm around her. Clara fought off the sadness and hurt that started rising in her and went over to where Rose and Mickey were, looking back at the school.

The Doctor had somehow moved the TARDIS during the whole thing. It was now parked in beautiful park

Clara, not wanting to interrupt the Doctor and Sarah Jane (he was showing her around the TARDIS) took a walk around the park, trying to clear her mind, but it didn't work. Maybe she should go stay with Jackie for a while? She was sure to love the company, even if she wasn't Rose.

She wound up back at the TARDIS and opened the door to hear Mickey ask, "Can I come?"

Rose was frowning, not looking pleased.

"No, not with you," Mickey said to Sarah Jane, "I mean...with you." He gestured to the Doctor.

Rose's face started beaming at Mickey and Clara rushed up to hug him. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad with Mickey around.

"Oh, go on, Doctor. Sarah Jane Smith—a Mickey Smith. You need a Smith on board!" Sarah Jane said.

"Okay, then, I could do with a laugh," the Doctor said.

Rose grinned, rolling her eyes and Clara laughed loudly.

"Rose, is that okay?" Mickey asked his girlfriend.

"No, great. Why not?" Rose said sarcastically, but she was grinning widely.

"Well, I'd better go," Sarah Jane said after a moment. She took Rose and Clara aside.

"What does Clara do?" Rose asked.

"I'm fine," Clara said, but both Sarah Jane and Rose could see the pain written across her face.

"Should she stay with him?" Rose asked.

"Rose-" Clara tried to protest.

"Yes," Sarah Jane said, looking closely at Clara. "Some things are worth getting your heart broken for."

She embraced both the girls, one at a time and said, "Find me...if you need to, one day. Find me."

Clara, near tears, hugged the older woman back tightly. She could never hate Sarah Jane like Rose first did. The woman was too nice for that. Besides, it wasn't her fault the Doctor had chosen her. It had just happened, like with herself and Rose.

Both the girls smiled at Sarah Jane as the Doctor held the TARDIS door open for her. She stepped out of the TARDIS for the last time.

After Sarah Jane had left, Clara wondered to the library for a bit of peace. She loved the old fashioned fireplace that was in there and curled up on a sofa, staring at it.

There was a knock at the door and she looked up to see Rose.

"Can I come in?" Rose asked.

"Sure," Clara said, continuing her staring.

Rose sat down at the other end of the sofa and pulled Clara's feet up into her lap.

"So what are you gonna do?" Rose asked.

"I dunno," Clara said, wiping away a stray tear that leaked out of the corner of her eye. "Thought about staying with Mum for a few days or so, but then Mickey wanted to stay, so I don't think it'll be so bad."

"Oh, Clara," Rose sighed. "I didn't want to see you hurt like this. That's why I didn't want to tell you."

"It's okay, Rose," Clara said. "I needed to know."

There was another knock at the door, and this time, it was the man that Clara really didn't want to see right now.

"Er, Rose, can I talk to Clara for a moment?" the Doctor asked, nervously tugging at his ear.

Rose looked at Clara, who sighed and nodded. Rose got up and went up to the Doctor.

"You better watch it, mister. Don't go upsetting her, ya here?"

"Rose, I'll be fine," Clara said, sitting up on the sofa.

Rose gave Clara a look, then left the room. The Doctor looked nervous as he asked Clara if he could sit down.

"It's your TARDIS. You can do what you want," Clara said blankly.

The Doctor sat down and immediately pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry, Clara, but can you see why?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah, I can. I think that's why it hurts so much. Because I understand," Clara said.

"But I will never, ever leave you behind," the Doctor said. "Not you."

"Never say never ever, Sweetie," Clara said, with a small smile.

The Doctor grinned right back at her and then it faded.

"I—if I could, I would ask you to stay with me, forever," the Doctor said, taking her hand.

"You don't have to ask, Sweetie," Clara said. "I'll stay with you as long as I possibly can."

The Doctor beamed at her.

"May I?" Clara asked.

The Doctor seemed bewildered, until Clara pulled his head down and kissed his lips softly. The look on the Doctor's face after she let go was so comical, it sent Clara into a giggle fit.

"I've wanted to do that for a while," she said. "I just didn't know, since you regenerated and all-"

The Doctor broke her off with a kiss, one that she returned eagerly. When they broke, she stroked the side of his face, murmuring, "My Doctor," over and over. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, smiled at him and said, "Well, I'm off to bed. Goodnight, Sweetie."


	18. The Girl in the Fireplace

**The Girl in the Fireplace**

Clara laughed out loud and grabbed the railing as the TARDIS materialized. The Doctor grabbed her hand as he passed by, beaming at her. He pushed the TARDIS door open and stepped out, followed by Rose and Mickey.

"Amazing," Clara breathed, looking around in the room of a spaceship.

"It's a spaceship! Brilliant, I got a spaceship on my first go!" Mickey said excitedly.

"So did Rose and I," Clara said. "Though, technically speaking, it was a space station."

"Looks kind of abandoned...Anyone on board?" Rose asked, sounding surprised.

"Nah, nothing here," the Doctor said. "Well! Nothing dangerous. Well! Not that dangerous." He paused for a moment. "You know what, I'll just have a quick scan...in case there's anything dangerous."

Instead of letting go of Clara's hand, the Doctor pulled her over to a control panel in the center of the room, and started pressing buttons. Rose smirked at the sight of her cousin with 'her man.'

"So, what's the date?" Rose asked. "How far we gone?"

"About three hundred years into your future, give or take," the Doctor said.

"I thought you were s'pose to know everything," Clara said in a teasing voice.

The Doctor pulled a switch and the lights turned on and the roof opened, giving them a view of the view of the stars outside.

"Not everything, Love," the Doctor said, smiling at her. "So, fifty-first century. Diagmar Cluster, you're a long way from home, Mickey! Two and a half galaxies!"

Mickey was standing by a porthole, gazing at the sight in awe. Rose had walked over and placed her hands on his shoulders, smiling. The Doctor continued digging around in the control panel with Clara watching him with a smile on her face.

"Dear me, had some cowboys in here!" the Doctor said. "Got a ton of repair work going on."

Letting go of the Doctor's hand, Clara ducked as the Doctor was chucking out bits of rubbish and parts, noticing a screen with a diagram of the spaceship on it. Clara peered over his shoulder, trying to make sense of it.

"Now that's odd, look at that," the Doctor said, surprised and curious. "All the warp engines are going...full capacity! There's enough power running through this ship to punch a hole in the universe..and we're not moving. So where's all that power going?"

"Where'd all the crew go?" Rose asked.

The Doctor leaned forward to mess with some knobs and buttons on the control panel.

"Good question, no life readings on board," the Doctor said.

"It's like they just disappeared," Clara said.

"Well, we're in deep space; they didn't just nip out for a quick fag," Rose joked.

"Nope, checked all the smoking pods," the Doctor said, thinking she was serious. Clara let out a snigger, then paused, sniffing the air.

"Can you smell that?" the Doctor asked, smelling.

"Yeah, someone's cooking," Rose said.

"Sunday roast, definitely!" Mickey said.

The Doctor pressed another button and a door behind the four of them opened. Turning around, they walked through the doorway.

"It's beautiful," Clara said, looking around. The room was decorated in 18th century décor, including an amazing, very pretty fireplace.

"Well, there's something you don't see in your average spaceship," the Doctor said. "Eighteenth century! French! Nice mantle. Not a hologram," he said after using his sonic screwdriver on the fireplace.

Rose and Mickey went to explore the rest of the room, but Clara seem transfixed on the fireplace.

"It's very pretty," she breathed, running a hand over the mantle.

"Not even a reproduction, this actually is an eighteenth century French fireplace. Double-sided, there's another room through there," the Doctor said.

"There can't be," Rose said, looking though a porthole on the same wall as the fireplace and saw space. "That's the outer hull of the ship, look."

The Doctor suddenly crouched down, pulling Clara with him, looking through the fire into the other room. A little girl with long, blonde hair was looking back at them.

"Hello!" the Doctor said.

"Hello, Sweetie," Clara said, smiling at the pretty young girl.

"Hello..." the young girl said back.

"What's your name?" the Doctor asked her.

"Reinette," the girl said.

"Reinette, that's a lovely name. Can you tell me where you are at the moment, Reinette?" the Doctor asked encouragingly.

"In my bedroom," Reinette said with suspicion.

"And where's your bedroom? Where do you live, Reinette?" the Doctor asked.

"Paris, of course!" Reinette said.

"Paris, right!" the Doctor said.

"Duh, Doctor! She has a French accent," Clara said, tapping his head.

"Monsieur, Mademoiselle, what are you doing in my fireplace?" Reinette asked the two strange people.

"Oh, it's just a routine...fire check. Can you tell me what year it is?" the Doctor asked.

"'Cos we really don't know," Clara added kindly.

"Of course I can! Seventeen hundred and twenty seven," Reinette said.

"Right, lovely! One of my favourites...August is rubbish though. Stay indoors. Okay, that's all for now. Thanks for your help. Hope you enjoy the rest of the fire. Night night!" the Doctor said.

"Good night, Reinette," Clara said, smiling at the girl.

"Goodnight Monsieur, Mademoiselle," Reinette said.

The Doctor stood up, then helped Clara to her feet.

"Well, that was interesting," Clara said, slightly stunned.

"You said this was the fifty-first century," Mickey said.

"I also said this ship was generating enough power to punch a hole in the universe. I think we just found the hole. Must be a spatio-temoral hyperlink," the Doctor said. Clara snorted at his obviously made-up word.

"What's that?" Mickey asked.

"A special word for him," Clara said, smiling.

"No idea," the Doctor answered Mickey. "Just made it up. Didn't wanna say 'magic door'."

"And on the other side of the," Rose used a deep voice then, "'magic door' is France 1727?"

The Doctor nodded and looked back at the fireplace. He took off his coat off and tossed it at Clara.

"Oh, thanks," Clara said, before tossing it to the side.

"Well, she was speaking French. Right period French, too," the Doctor said.

"She was speaking English, I heard her!" Mickey said.

Rose draped her arms around Mickey's neck, making Clara smile. The Doctor took Clara's hand and pulled her back over to the fireplace.

"That's the TARDIS—translates for ya," Rose explained to Mickey.

"Even French?" Mickey asked, excited.

"Yep," Rose said.

Clara leaned up against the fireplace, looking closely at it, while the Doctor knelt to the side, examining. The wall that the fireplace was on suddenly started to rotate, taking the Doctor and Clara to the other side.

"Gotcha!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"Doctor! Clara!" Rose called.

The fireplace finally finished turning, putting the Doctor and Clara in a dark bedroom. Clara saw young Reinette asleep in her bed.

"Wow," Clara breathed, seeing a view of Paris outside. She heard a horse neigh outside and then the Doctor said, "It's okay! Don't scream! It's us, it the fireplace man and lady. Look."

The Doctor took Clara's hand and lit a candle by her bed with his sonic screwdriver. The poor girl still looked scared.

"It's okay, Sweetie," Clara said, sitting on the bed by Reinette, taking the young girl's hand in hers.

"We were talking, just a moment ago," the Doctor said. "We were in your fireplace."

"Monsieur, Mademoiselle, that was weeks ago. That was months!" Reinette said.

"Really? Oh," the Doctor said, surprised.

He walked back to the fireplace and knocked on it, listening.

"He's a bit odd, isn't he?" Clara asked the young girl, smiling dreamily at the Doctor.

"Must be a loose connection. Need to get a man in," the Doctor said.

"Who are you both? And what are you doing here?" Reinette said.

"I don't know, Sweetie," Clara said. "One moment we were one place, and the fireplace took us somewhere else!"

Reinette looked even more confused. The Doctor didn't reply to Reinette's question, but was staring at the clock on the mantle with his mouth open.

"Okay, that's scary..." the Doctor said.

"You're scared of a broken clock?" Reinette asked skeptically.

"Just a bit scared, yeah. Just a little tiny bit. 'Cause you see, if this clock's broken, and it's the only clock in the room...then what's that?" the Doctor said, turning to look at Reinette and Clara. Clara listened carefully and heard a ticking noise. It started to get louder, and Reinette and Clara were looking around, both scared. Clara took the young girl in her arms, seeing that she was terrified.

"'Cause you see that's not a clock. You can tell by the resonance. Too big. Six feet, I'd say. Size of a man," the Doctor went on.

"What is it?" Reinette asked.

The Doctor checked behind the curtains in the room, but found nothing. He started speaking more quickly, almost going into a rant.

"Now, let's think. If you were a thing that ticks and you were hiding in someone's bedroom, first thing you do: break the clock. No one notices the sound of one clock ticking, but two? You might start to wonder if you're really alone," he said.

The Doctor then moved to the bed, crouching down, pulling out his sonic screwdriver.

"Both of you stay on the bed. Right in the middle. Don't put your hands or feet over the edge," the Doctor instructed.

"It'll be okay, sweetie," Clara reassured the young, scared girl. "Doctor!" she cried, as the Doctor was thrown backwards, after peering under the bed.

Something appeared out of the corner of Clara's eye and she tried to shield it from Reinette's eyes. It was a tall...thing, dressed in French period dress, along with a creepy-looking mask. Clara looked at the Doctor with wide eyes, then looked down at Reinette.

"Reinette...don't look round," the Doctor whispered to the young girl. "You stay exactly where you are."

The Doctor slowly stood up, looking at the figure. He then glanced between Reinette and the figure then back and forth again.

"Hold still, let me look..." the Doctor told Reinette. He gently took Reinette's head out of Clara's grasp and looked into her eyes with a disturbed expression on his face.

"You've been scanning her brain!" the Doctor said, shocked. He looked into Reinette's eyes again, before saying, "What, you've crossed two galaxies and thousands of years just to scan a child's brain? What could there be in a little girl's mind worth blowing a hole in the universe?"

"I don't understand...it wants me?" Reinette asked, pulled out of my grip slightly to look at the figure. "You want me?"

The figure's head twitched to the side, and spoke in a mechanical voice, "Not yet. You are incomplete."

"'Incomplete'? What's that mean, 'incomplete'?" the Doctor asked.

The droid didn't answer, but it still stared at Reinette, who was still sitting in Clara's arms. Clara just thought it was plain creepy-looking. The Doctor, irritated, stood up and pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the droid, saying, "You can answer her, you can answer me. What do you mean, 'incomplete'?"

The droid didn't answer again, but instead, circled the bed, facing the Doctor.

"Sweetie!" Clara called out in warning, standing up.

The droid extended a blade that shot out of its arm.

"Monsieur, be careful!" Reinette said.

"Just a nightmare, Reinette, don't worry about it. Everyone has nightmares," the Doctor said.

Clara, worried about the Doctor, took his hand as he backed away from the droid. The droid swiped its blade at them, but the Doctor jumped backwards, pulling Clara with him. Clara gave a hiss of pain as her back reached the mantle of the fireplace.

"Even monsters from under the bed have nightmares, don't you, monster?" the Doctor asked.

The droid slashed at them again, but they jumped again, the Doctor to one side, Clara to the other. The droid's sword got stuck in the mantle.

"What do monsters have nightmares about?" Reinette asked.

The Doctor took the opportunity to turn the fireplace again as the droid struggled.

"Me, ha!" the Doctor said.

"Doctor! Clara!" Rose called, as they spun round again.

"Bit full of yourself, aren't you, Sweetie?" Clara asked the Doctor. He grinned quickly at her, before running off to grab an object from the wall. He used it on the droid, which froze it in ice.

"Excellent, ice gun!" Mickey exclaimed appreciatively.

The Doctor tossed the 'gun' to Rose, then said, "Fire extinguisher."

"Where did that thing come from?" Rose asked, looking at the droid. Clara backed away from it, still scared of it.

"Here," the Doctor said.

"And there," Clara said.

"So why is it dressed like that?" Mickey asked.

"Field trip to France, some kind of basic camouflage protocol—nice needlework! Shame about the face," the Doctor said, before he walked over to the droid and pulled the mask and wig off it.

Inside looked like a very large clock, with gears moving and ticking. It was covered in, what looked like to Clara, a very large, clear egg.

"Oh, you are beautiful!" the Doctor exclaimed excitedly. Clara sniggered at the sight of him. He seemed giddy as a schoolboy.

Mickey and Rose edged closer to the droid, but Clara kept clear of it. The Doctor put on his glasses (yeah, the ones that made Clara swoon) to examine the droid more closely.

"No really, you are, you're gorgeous! Look at that! Space age clockwork, I love it! I've got chills! Listen, seriously, I mean this from the heart—and by the way, count those—it would be a crime, it would be an act of vandalism to disassemble you," the Doctor said.

"Since when does that bother you?" Clara asked the Doctor.

The Doctor grinned at her then said, "You know me so well, Love. That won't stop me."

The droid creaked to life, then teleported away. Rose, Mickey, and Clara all looked around, and the Doctor put his sonic screwdriver back in his pocket. He walked back over to the fireplace, getting ready to go back to the other side.

"Wait for me, Doctor," Clara said.

"Stay here this time, Love. That was a short range teleport, can't have got far. Could still be on board-" the Doctor said.

"What is it?" Rose asked.

"Don't go looking for it!" the Doctor said, pointing his finger at Clara, Rose, and Mickey.

"Where're you going?" Rose asked.

"Back in a sec," the Doctor said.

"Protect her, Sweetie!" Clara called, as the fireplace turned back to Reinette's side.

"Nice to see you guys again," Clara said to Rose and Mickey, as Rose looked at the fire extinguisher.

"You too," Mickey said, then looked at Rose. "He said not to look for it..."

"Yeah, he did," Rose said.

"But when do we listen to the Doctor?" Clara said, catching on to what her cousin was planning. She saw another extinguisher on the wall and pulled it down.

Mickey smiled before grabbing yet another one off the wall.

"Now you're both getting it!" Rose said, laughing. The three of them took off out of the room in a jog. They went down corridor after corridor, checking for the droid, but saw nothing.

"I'll bet it's in the eighteenth century," Clara said, shifting the extinguisher, which was getting slightly heavy. She then laughed as Mickey looked down yet another corridor, then did an Indiana Jones-style roll to the other side. He kept on doing it until he saw a surveillance camera, watching him.

"What is it?" Clara asked.

"Are you looking at me?" Mickey asked the camera.

"It can't hear you, Mickey," Clara giggled.

Mickey suddenly jumped backwards, squeaking in alarm.

"Look at this," Mickey said. Rose had joined them, then and her and Clara leaned in for a closer look.

"That's gross," Clara said. In the center of the camera was an eye, looking at them.

"There's an eye in there. That's a real eye," Mickey said.

"Yeah, we can see it," Clara said. "See? Get it?" She snorted at her own pun, before frowning as the eye retreated back into the wall.

"That's horrible, Clare Clare," Rose said, with a smile.

"What can I say, Rosie? I think I've spent too much time with the Doctor," Clara said. "Does anyone else hear that?"

A faint, but steady heartbeat sounded nearby. Rose bent down to a small circular cover in the bulkhead and tried to pull the cover away. It scalded her and she yanked her hand back.

"Let me try," Clara said, gently pulling her cousin back. Clara pulled the sleeve of her purple jacket down over her hand and tried to pull the cover back. It opened to reveal a human heart with wires and pipes attaching it to the ship.

"What is that?" Mickey wondered. "What's that in the middle there? It's like it's wired in."

"It's weird," Clara said, staring at it.

"That's a heart, Mickey...that's a human heart," Rose said with disgust.

"It's really weird," Clara said.

Shaking her head, trying to rid the picture from her mind, Clara started off down the corridor again, with Mickey and Rose behind her.

"This is creepy," Clara said, as the cameras were watching them.

"Maybe it wasn't a real heart," Mickey said.

"Course it was a real heart," Rose said.

"Looked real to me," Clara said.

"Is this like normal for you two? Is this an average day?" Mickey asked, looking around.

"Life with the Doctor, Mickey—no more average days," Rose said.

They stopped outside a window that on the other side was a room in eighteenth century France again.

"It's France again," Mickey said. "We can see France."

"I think we're looking through a mirror," Rose said.

"I two-way mirror," Clara said.

The doors opened and the King entered, followed by two servants.

"Blimey, look at this guy. Who does he think he is?" Mickey asked.

"King of France," Clara answered at the same time the Doctor did (he had appeared behind them).

"Hello, Sweetie," Clara said, smiling at him.

"Oh, here's trouble. What you been up to?" Rose asked him.

"Oh, this and that," the Doctor said, putting an arm around Clara's waist. "Became the imaginary friend of a future French aristocrat...picked a fight with a clockwork man...Reinette asked about you, Love."

A horse whinnied around the corner before Clara could answer.

"What-?" Clara asked.

"Oh, and I met a horse," the Doctor said.

The horse trotted into view.

"Ooh! It's pretty!" Clara shrieked, petting the white horse. She'd always been fond of animals.

"What's a horse doing on a spaceship?" Mickey asked.

"Mickey, what's pre-Revolutionary France doing on a spaceship? Get a little perspective," the Doctor said.

"Be nice, Sweetie, Clara scolded, stroking the horse. The Doctor rolled his eyes and looked through the window.

"See these? They're all over the place. On every deck. Gateways to history. But not just any old history...Hers."

Reinette had entered the room then, and the Doctor pointed at her.

"Is that Reinette?" Clara asked.

"Yup," the Doctor said. "Time window...deliberately arranged along the life of one particular woman. A spaceship from the fifty-first century stalking a woman from the eighteenth. _Why_?"

"Who is she?" Rose asked.

"Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, known to her friends as Reinette. One of the most accomplished women who ever lived," the Doctor said.

"So has she got plans of being the Queen, then?" Rose asked.

"No, he's already got a Queen. She's got plans of being his mistress," the Doctor said.

"Oh, I get it. Camilla," Rose said. Clara, Rose, and Mickey all laughed.

"I think this is the night they met," the Doctor said, as the King left. "the night of the Yew Tree ball. In no time at flat, she'll get herself established as his official mistress, with her own rooms at the palace...even her own title—Madame de Pompadour."

Reinette was now standing in front of the mirror, right in front of them.

"Wow, she sure grew up," Clara said, remembering the little girl from not thirty minutes ago.

"Queen must have loved her..." Rose said.

"Oh, she did," the Doctor said. "They get on very well."

"The King's wife and the King's girlfriend?" Mickey asked.

"France," the Doctor answered. "It's a different planet."

Clara's eyes widened at the ticking noise coming from behind the glass, even though she could see the clock was broken.

"Doctor, the clock," she breathed.

Clara jumped into action first, swinging the mirror around to enter. The Doctor was close behind her, taking the extinguisher from Mickey.

"Hello, Reinette. Hasn't time flown?" the Doctor asked.

"Fireplace man!" Reinette said.

"Hello, Reinette. How're you?" Clara asked.

"Mademoiselle, I remember you!" Reinette cried.

"Name's Clara. Clara Tyler," Clara said, as she sprayed at the droid with her extinguisher. The Doctor followed suit, until the droid wasn't moving. The Doctor threw his extinguisher back at Mickey.

Clara stepped back as the droid started to move again.

"What's it doing?" Mickey asked.

"Switching back on," the Doctor said. "Melting the ice."

"And then what?" Mickey asked.

"Then it kills everyone in the room," the Doctor answered.

The droid's arm shot out towards the Doctor's throat, but the Doctor jumped back towards Reinette.

"Focuses the mind, doesn't it?" the Doctor asked. "Who are you? Identify yourself."

The droid cocked its head, but just like the last time Clara saw it, it didn't answer the Doctor.

"Order it to answer me," the Doctor told Reinette.

"Why should it listen to me?" Reinette asked.

"I don't know," the Doctor said. "It did when you were a child. Let's see if you've still got it."

"Answer his question. Answer any and all questions put to you," Reinette told the droid.

The droid lowered its arm and said, "I am repair droid seven."

"So what happened to the ship, then?" the Doctor asked it. "There was a lot of damage."

"Ion storm, eighty two percent systems failure," the droid said.

"That ship hasn't moved in over a year. What's taken you so long?" the Doctor asked.

"We did not have the parts," the droid said.

Mickey laughed and said, "Always comes down to that, doesn't it? The parts?"

"What's happened to the crew, where are they?" the Doctor asked.

"We did not have the parts," the droid said.

"There should have been over fifty people on your ship. Where did they go?" the Doctor asked.

"We did not have the parts," the droid repeated again.

"Fifty people don't just disappear! Where-? Oh. You didn't have the parts, so you used the crew," the Doctor realized.

"The crew?" Mickey asked.

"It _was_ real," Clara said, feeling like she was going to be sick.

"We found a camera with an eye in it...and there was a heart...wired in to machinery," Rose explained to the Doctor.

"It was just what it was programmed to. Repairing the ship any way it can, with whatever it could find. No one told it the crew weren't on the menu. What did you say the flight deck smelled of?" the Doctor asked.

"Someone cooking..." Rose said quietly.

Clara gagged, feeling very sick.

"Flesh plus heat. Barbeque," the Doctor said. Clara gagged again, feeling ready to throw up. "But what are you doing here? You've opened up time windows, that takes colossal energy. Why come here, you could have gone to your repair yard. Instead you come to eighteenth century France? Why?"

"One more part is required," the droid said, jerking its head towards Reinette.

Clara looked at the poor woman, feeling pity for her.

"Then why haven't you taken it?" the Doctor asked.

"She is incomplete," the droid said.

"What...so, that's the plan then? Just keep opening up more and more time windows, scanning her brain, checking to see if she's 'done yet'?" the Doctor said.

"Why her?" Rose asked suddenly.

Clara furrowed her eyebrows and wondered the same thing. Why Reinette? Our of all the crew, and people everywhere, why?

"You've got all of history to choose from, why specifically her?" Rose said.

"Not to mention all of the crew," Clara said, wrinkling her nose up.

"We are the same," the droid said.

"We are not the same, we are in no sense the same!" Reinette said.

"We are the same," the droid said.

"Get out of here! Get out of her this instance!" Reinette insisted angrily.

"Reinette, no," the Doctor said, but it was too late. The droid used the teleport and was gone.

"It's back on the ship. Rose, take Mickey, Clara, and Arthur, get after it. Follow it, don't approach it, just watch what it does," the Doctor said.

"Arthur?" Rose and Clara both asked.

"Good name for a horse," the Doctor said.

"No, you're not keeping the horse," Rose said, exasperated.

"I like Arthur," Clara said, giggling.

"I let you keep Mickey! Now, go, go, go!" the Doctor said.

"See you soon, Sweetie," Clara said, winking at the Doctor before guiding Arthur after Rose and Mickey.

"So, that Doctor, eh?" Mickey said suggestively.

"What are you talking about?" Rose asked.

"Well! Madame de Pompadour. Sarah Jane Smith. Cleopatra. Clara," Mickey said.

"Oi!" Clara said, while petting/leading Arthur

"Cleopatra—he mentioned her ONCE," Rose said, looking back at Clara, who looked slightly put off.

"Yeah, but he called her 'Cleo'," Mickey said.

"Can we please _not_ talk about this?" Clara asked.

The droid suddenly appeared behind Mickey.

"Mickey!" Rose shrieked.

Clara aimed her extinguisher at one of the droids, but before she could, something stuck into her neck, knocking her out.

Clara groaned as she woke up. Unlike at the Torchwood House, she was the first to wake this time, instead of Rose. There were droids all around, one by her side, looking down at her. She tried to move, but was chained and manacled onto a metal table. Beside her, Rose started to wake up.

"Oi! Rose! Wake up," Clara yelled, getting nervous at the droids looking at her.

"What's going on?" Rose asked. "Doctor?"

"Not here," Clara said. "Probably still with Reinette," she said a bit bitterly.

"Rose? Clara?" Mickey said. "They're gonna chop us up. Just like the crew—they're gonna chop us up and stick us all over their stupid spaceship. And where's the Doctor? Where's the precious Doctor now? He's been gone for flipping hours, that's where he is!"

"Where'd Arthur go?" Clara asked, looking around for the horse.

"You are compatible," the droid said to Rose.

"Oh, no you don't!" Clara said.

"Well...you...you might wanna think about that. You really, really might because...me and Mickey and Clara...we didn't come here alone, oh no! And trust me—you wouldn't wanna mess with our designated driver," Rose said, trying to buy time.

"Rosie!" Clara cried, but was restrained by a droid, who put one of its arm knives in her face.

"Ever heard of the Daleks?" Rose asked. "Remember them? They had a name for our friend. They had myths about him, and a name. They called him the..."

Banging was heard in the distance, as well as singing.

"I could've danced all night, I could've danced all night..." the Doctor was singing drunkenly.

"I love My Fair Lady," Clara sighed, recalling the movie the song was from.

"They called him the—they called him the—the-" Rose tried again, but broke off.

The Doctor staggered into the room, dancing with a ghost, it seemed. He was wearing a pair of sunglasses and had his tie around his head.

"And still have begged for mooore...I could've spread my wings and done a thou—have you met the French?"

Clara was torn between being very cross with him and very amused.

"My...GOSH, they know how to party," the Doctor said.

"Oh, look at what the cat dragged in. The Oncoming Storm," Rose said.

"Oh, you sound just like your mother," the Doctor said.

"About time you showed up, Sweetie," Clara scoffed.

"What've you been doing? Where've you been?" Rose said crossly.

"Well...among other things, I think I just invented the banana daiquiri a few centuries early," the Doctor said.

"Seriously, Sweetie?" Clara gasped, laying back down.

"Do you know, they've never even seen a banana before!" the Doctor said, leaning over Clara, winking over the top of his sunglasses at her.

Clara was a bit cross with him now.

"Always take a banana to a party, Love. Bananas are GOOD," the Doctor said. He then seemed to spot the droids. "Oh, ho, ho, ho, ho, brilliant. It's you! You're my favourite, you are, you are the best! Do you know why? 'Cause you're so THICK. You're Mister Thick Thick Thickity Thick Face from Thicktown, Thickania. And so's your dad."

Despite how cross she was with him, that made Clara start giggling like crazy. The Doctor grinned at her, then continued on ranting.

"Do you know what they were scanning Reinette's brain for? Her milometer. They wanna know how old she is. Know why? 'Cause this ship is thirty-seven years old. And they think that when Reinette is thirty-seven, when she's 'complete,' then her brain will be compatible. So, that's what you're missing, isn't it?" he said, staring at one of the droids.

"Hmm? Command circuit. Your computer. Your ship needs a brain. And for some reason—God knows what—only the brain of Madame de Pompadour will do," the Doctor said.

"The brain is compatible," the droid said.

"Compatible?" the Doctor asked, approaching a droid. "If you believe that, you probably believe this is as glass of wine."

He took off the droid's mask and poured the 'wine' into the clockwork inside the head of the droid. He put the mask back on, then patted the droid on the head. The droid wound down, just like it did when they used the extinguishers. Clara gave a sigh of relief, laying back down.

"Multigrain anti-oil. If it moves, it doesn't," the Doctor said, suddenly sober. A droid in the corner by Clara started to move forward, but the Doctor pulled a lever to deactivate it.

"Right, you three, that's enough lying about..." the Doctor said. He released Mickey, Rose, and Clara with his sonic screwdriver and Clara immediately jumped up and hugged him.

"Time we got the rest of the ship turned off," the Doctor said.

"Are those things safe?" Mickey asked, looking at the droids.

The Doctor pulled his tie off his head and pushed the sunglasses up onto his head. "Yep. Safe. Safe and thick. Way I like them. Okay, all the time windows are controlled from here. I need to close them all down," he said. "Zeus plugs. Where are my Zeus plugs? I had them a minute ago, I was using them as castanets."

"Why didn't they just open a time window to when she was thirty-seven?" Rose asked.

"With the amount of damage to these circuits, they'll be lucky to hit the right century. Trial and error after that," the Doctor said, trying to operate the computer. "The windows aren't closing. Why won't they close?"

"What's that?" Rose asked, as a pinging sound was heard.

"I don't know...incoming message?" the Doctor said, over the pinging.

"What?" Clara asked.

"From who?" Mickey asked.

"Report from the field...one of them must still be out there with Reinette! That's why I can't close the windows, there's an override!" the Doctor said.

Clara jumped backwards into the Doctor as one of the droids sprang back to life.

"Eww!" she cried as the droid spat out the 'wine' onto the Doctor's shoes.

"Well, that was a bit clever," the Doctor said.

"And a big gross," Clara said. "It was like it threw up."

Clara jumped again as the other droids around the room sprang back to life. The room was filled with ticking noises again.

"Right...many things about this are not good," the Doctor said.

"You think, Sweetie?" Clara asked sarcastically.

"Sorry, Love, but I can do without that," the Doctor said. "Message from one of your little friends? Anything interesting?" the Doctor asked the droids, as there was another pinging sound.

"She is complete. It begins," the droid said, then they all teleported out.

"What's happening?" Rose asked.

"One of them must've found the right time window, and now it's time to send in the troops. And this time they're bringing back her head," the Doctor said.

"We've got to stop them," Clara said fiercely. "C'mon!" She grabbed the Doctor's hand and pulled him along the corridor until he came up with a plan. The Doctor then decided that Rose and Clara would go talk to Reinette (who was thirty-two) while he and Mickey would find the right time window.

Clara and Rose entered the room from behind the tapestry.

"Hello, Reinette," Clara said quietly, as not to startle her, but she gasped and jumped anyway.

"Clara Tyler!" Reinette gasped, looking between her and her cousin.

"Please don't scream or anything, we haven't got a lot of time," Rose said, thinking that she was still scared.

Clara slowly embraced the woman that she had protected as a child.

"It's good to see you again, Reinette, though I think you go by another name now?"

Reinette just nodded and joined Rose and Clara as they sat down.

"We've come to warn you that they'll be here in five years," Rose said, getting straight to the point.

"Five years?" Reinette asked.

"Some time after your thirty-seventh birthday. We um...we can't give you an exact date," Rose explained. "It's a bit random. But they're coming. It's gonna happen. In a way, for us, it's already happening. The Doctor does this better."

"Then be exact, and I will be attentive," Reinette said.

"There isn't time," Rose said, after glancing at Clara.

"There are five years," Reinette said.

"Reinette, you have five years, but we only have a few minutes," Clara said, trying to break it to her gently.

"Then also be concise, please," Reinette said.

Clara let Rose try and explain it to the poor woman, who probably had no idea what she was talking about.

"Erm...there's say, um...a—a...a vessel. A ship. A sort of sky ship. And it's full of...well, you. Different bits of your life in different rooms, all jumbled up. We told you it was complicated, sorry," Rose said.

"There is a vessel in your world...where the days of my life are pressed together like the chapters of a book so that he may step from one to the other without increase of age...while I, weary traveler...must always take the slower path?" Reinette said, summing it up.

"Yeah, pretty much," Clara said.

"He was right about you..." Rose said, staring at the woman.

"So, in five years these creatures will return. What can be done?" Reinette asked.

"We're still working on that," Clara said, and Rose added, "the Doctor says to keep them talking. They're kind of programmed to respond to you now. You won't be able to stop them, but you might be able to delay them a bit."

"Until?" Reinette asked.

"Until the Doctor can get there," Rose said.

"He's coming, then?" Reinette asked.

"Always," Clara said.

"He promises," Rose said.

"But he cannot...make his promises in person?" Reinette asked.

"He'll be there when you need him. That's the way it's gotta be," Rose said.

"Plus, he's working on a plan to save you right now," Clara added.

"It's the way it's always been. The monsters and the Doctor, as well as you, Clara. It seems you cannot have one without the other," Reinette said.

"Tell me about it," Rose said, laughing slightly.

"I'm not important like he is," Clara said.

"I disagree," Reinette said. "I think you have a long and happy future ahead of you."

Clara blushed slightly and quietly mumbled her thanks.

"The thing is...you weren't supposed to have either," Rose said, getting back on topic, to Reinette. "Those creatures are messing with history. None of this was ever supposed to happen to you."

"Suppose to happen?" Reinette said angrily to Rose. "What does that mean? It happened, child. And I would not have it any other way. One may tolerate a world of demons for the sake of an angel."

"Rose? Clara?" Mickey then called out, appearing from behind the tapestry.

"I know what you mean," Clara said quietly to Reinette.

"And what is that, child?" Reinette asked her.

"About tolerating a world of demons for an angel. The Doctor saved me. Not in the same way as you, but from my boring life back home. I have no other family but Rose and her mum, Jackie. The Doctor saved me from that. I had no prospects or even a real job," Clara said, giving a small, humorless laugh.

"You love him, don't you? The Doctor?" Reinette asked.

"With all my heart," Clara answered truthfully.

"He loves you, too. He's told me. Even stopped me from trying to kiss him," Reinette said with a laugh.

Reinette and Clara heard what Mickey was saying to Rose then.

"The time window when she's thirty-seven. We found it. Right under our noses," Mickey said.

Reinette paused and looked at the time window behind Mickey, then quickly headed towards it.

"Reinette, no!" Clara cried, trying to stop the woman.

"No, you can't go in there, the Doctor will go mad-" Rose said.

It was too late, though. Reinette had already entered the spaceship. When Clara followed her through, Reinette was looking around in wonder and fear, looking bewildered..

"So, this is his world," Reinette said.

Clara froze as they heard screaming in the distance.

"What was that?" Reinette asked.

"The time window, the Doctor fixed an audio link," Mickey said to Rose and Clara. Clara shuddered at the sounds of panicking people.

"Those screams...is that my future?" Reinette asked, as if afraid to hear the answer.

"Yeah...I'm sorry," Rose said.

"Don't worry, the Doctor will fix it all," Clara said, trying to reassure the woman.

"Then I must take the slower path," Reinette said.

They then heard the older Reinette's voice coming from the correct time window.

"Are you there? Can you hear me? I need you now, you promised. The clock on the mantel is broken. It is time," older Reinette said.

"That's my voice," the Reinette with them said, sounding disturbed.

"Rose, Clara, come on—we've gotta go. there's—there's a problem," Mickey said to the girls.

"Give us a moment," Rose said. Mickey rushed off, but Rose and Clara slowly approached Reinette. Clara put her arm around the distraught woman, like she had when she was a child.

"Are you okay?" Rose asked Reinette.

"No. I'm very afraid. But you two and I know, don't we Rose? Clara? The Doctor is worth the monsters," Reinette said.

"He is," Clara said, as Rose nodded. Clara released Reinette as she turned and walked back into her correct time window.

"Doctor! Doctor!" the future Reinette called.

Clara hurried off with Rose right behind her. The Doctor and Mickey were busy rushing about when the girls finally joined them.

"You found it, then?" Rose asked.

"They knew I was coming. They blocked it off," the Doctor said.

"You can fix it, yeah?" Clara asked.

"Dunno," the Doctor said, working. "I'm working on it."

"I don't get it," Rose said, looking into the ballroom the time window showed them. "How come they got in there?"

"They teleported—you saw them. As long as the ship and the ballroom are linked, their short-range teleports will do the trick," the Doctor said.

"Well, we'll go in the TARDIS!" Rose said.

"We can't use the TARDIS, we're part of events now," the Doctor said.

"Well, can't we just smash through it?" Mickey asked, looking through the glass.

"Hyperplex this side, plate glass the other. We need a truck," the Doctor said.

"We don't have a truck," Mickey pointed out the obvious.

"I know we don't have a truck!" the Doctor shouted, making Clara flinch back from him.

"Well, we've gotta try something!" Rose snapped back, mad that the Doctor had made Clara jump.

"No, smash the glass, smash the time window, they'd be no way back," the Doctor said.

"Can everyone just calm down? Please," Reinette from the time window said.

"Doctor, there must be _something_ you can do," Clara said, gently touching her arm.

"There is, but that means staying there. Forever," the Doctor said.

"And if you don't, Reinette will die. The little girl I tried to protect," Clara said, tears shining in her eyes. "You must do it, Sweetie. It's what you do. Forget about us. We'll be fine."

The Doctor looked at Clara with love in his eyes and gently took her face in his hands and kissed her. As soon as it started, it was over and the Doctor was rushing off. But in the opposite direction. Confused, Clara, Rose, and Mickey all peered down the hallway to where he had disappeared, before jerking back and out of the way as the Doctor came rushing past on Arthur, the horse. He jumped Arthur through the time window and into the life of Madame de Pompadour. The time window was completely gone. Instead, there was shattered glass and the interior of the ship.

"What happened?" Mickey asked. "Where did the time window go? How's he gonna get back?"

"He's not, Mickey, okay?" Clara snapped, tears running down her cheeks. Rose was just standing, stunned, looking at the time window.

Mickey looked taken aback, but didn't say anything to the upset girl. Clara wrapped her arms around herself, and sat, rocking back and forth, trying to get rid of the ache in her chest, where her heart was breaking.

Mickey continued to try and brainstorm a plan of what to do.

"We can't fly the TARDIS without him. How's he gonna get back?" Mickey repeated, looking at Clara, being cautious.

Clara didn't know why they were waiting. The Doctor knew that there was no way to get back, as well as she. Why couldn't Mickey figure it out?

"Just shut up, Mickey!" she cried, finally sick of his rambling. Her tears had ran out a long time ago, but the pain had stayed behind.

Suddenly, the Doctor was rushing into the room, hugging Rose, who was nearest to the door.

"How long did you wait?" the Doctor asked them all.

"Five and a half hours!" Rose said, happy.

"Right, always wait five and a half hours," the Doctor said. Then he went to Mickey and acted like he was gonna hug him, then seemed to change his mind and shook his hand instead.

The Doctor was walking to Clara, a look of guilt and sadness on his face.

"I'm sorry, Love," the Doctor said, taking Clara's hand in his.

"Doctor!" she said, flinging her arms around him.

The Doctor hugged her so tight, her feet left the floor.

"Put me down, you baboon!" she said, laughing.

After setting her down, the Doctor took her hand and pulled her to the fireplace.

"Where've you been?" Rose asked him.

"Explain later. Into the TARDIS, be with you in a sec," the Doctor said.

He pulled Clara down with him, and they both peered into the fireplace.

"Reinette?" the Doctor called. "You there, Reinette?"

Pulling Clara up with him, he revolved the both of them back in time.

"Reinette?" the Doctor and Clara called every once in a while, wandering through corridors. They finally came upon King Louis, who was standing in front of a window.

"Oh, hello," the Doctor said.

"Your Majesty," Clara said, curtseying. The Doctor gave her an odd look and she just shrugged. "Where's Reinette?" she asked.

"You just missed her. She'll be in Paris by six," King Louis said.

"Ah," the Doctor said, not understanding. The King looked at the Doctor and Clara, before walking towards him.

"Good Lord...she was right. She said you both never looked a day older," King Louis said, making Clara uncomfortable by examining them closely. The Doctor just raised his eyebrows at the King. "So many years since I saw you last, yet not a day of it on your face."

He walked over to a drawer and pulled out two letters.

"She spoke of you both many times," the King said. Clara's eyes were sad as she finally understood the use of past tense. "Often wished you'd visit again. You know how women are."

He glanced at Clara as he said this. He held out one letter to the Doctor and the other to Clara, who took it. She looked at the envelope in sadness, wishing she knew the amazing woman more.

"There she goes," the King said, going back to the window. "Leaving Versailles for the last time. Only forty-three when she died."

Clara gripped the Doctor's hand as they joined the King at the window. They watched the hearse. A tear made its way down Clara's cheek as she remembered the little girl she had first met.

"Too young...too young. Illness took her in the end. She always did work too hard," the King said. "What does she say?"

The Doctor let go of Clara's hand to tuck his letter in his jacket pocket.

"Of course. Quite right," the King said. The Doctor and Clara watched the hearse for a few more moments before the Doctor grabbed Clara's hand and walked away. Clara was still silently crying as the Doctor closed the TARDIS door behind them.

"Why her?" Rose asked, standing by the console with Mickey. "Why did they think they could fix the ship with the head of Madame de Pompadour?"

"We'll probably never know," the Doctor said. "There was massive damage in the computer memory base. Probably got confused. The TARDIS can close down the time windows now the droids are gone. Should stop it causing any more trouble."

Silently, Clara slipped out of the console room without being noticed and made her way to her room to read the letter Reinette left her.

_My dearest Clara,_

_My time is soon over, as you are aware by now. As my final moments are coming to a close, I remember the moment I first saw you, when you protected me as a child. I still don't fully believe what had happened, and I don't think it is likely I ever will. I know now that there is no chance of you, or the Doctor, returning for me before I pass on._

_I ask only one favor of you, dearest Clara: watch over the Doctor, my lonely angel. I know that he loves you with all his heart and that you love him as well. He will need you, more than ever, now that I am gone. _

_I thank you, Clara, for being a part of my life, however small, and for saving my life, though it is almost gone now._

_Yours,_

_Reinette._

Folding up her letter, Clara let her tears take over, falling onto her bed, sobbing.


	19. Rise of the Cybermen

**Rise of the Cybermen**

Clara sat on the floor of the TARDIS, leaning against the Doctor's legs, as he and Rose recounted adventures they'd all had together.

"And that weird munchkin lady with the big eye! Do you remember the way she looked at you? And then she opens her mouth and fire comes out!" the Doctor asked Rose enthusiastically. Clara smiled at the memory then leaned her head back and closed her eyes. It had been a long day of doing absolutely nothing but this, but she was tired. Maybe it was the lack of running and adrenaline.

"I thought I was gonna get frazzled!" Rose said, laughing.

"One minute she's standing there, and then it's ROAR!" the Doctor and Rose both said that last word and burst out laughing.

"Yeah, where...where was that then? What happened?" Mickey asked, who was standing on the other side of the console.

"It was on this, um, this, uh, planet thing, asteroid. It's a long story. Had to be, uh. Um, what are you doing that for?" the Doctor asked Mickey, who was holding down a button on the console.

"'Cos you told me to," Mickey said.

"When was that?" the Doctor asked, blinking.

"'Bout half an hour ago," Mickey said.

"Um, you can let go now," the Doctor said. Mickey let go of the button as Rose let out a snigger.

"Well, how long's it been since I could've stopped?" Mickey asked.

"Ten minutes? Twenty? Twenty-nine?" the Doctor said.

"You just forgot me!" Mickey exclaimed.

"No, no, no! I was just—I was calibrating. I just—I know exactly what I'm doing," the Doctor said.

Right as he finished that, the console erupted in a shower of sparks and smoke. Clara shrieked and instinctively threw herself on the floor, arms over her head. As soon as the sparks stopped, she pulled herself up using the console, as did the Doctor, Rose, and Mickey.

"Not all the time, I think," Clara said to the Doctor's last comment.

"What's happened!?" Rose asked.

"The Time Vortex. It's gone!" the Doctor said.

"How's that possible?" Clara asked.

"It's impossible!" the Doctor said. "It's just gone! Brace yourselves! We're gonna crash!"

Clara fell to the floor, nearly hitting her head on the railing, but was lucky enough to miss it. Gas masks dangled from the ceiling after falling from the crash.

"Everyone alright?" the Doctor asked. "Rose? Clara? Mickey?"

"I'm fine," Mickey said. "I'm okay, sorry."

"I'm good," Clara said, picking herself up.

"She's dead," the Doctor whispered, looking at the console. "The TARDIS is dead."

"You can fix it?" Rose asked.

"There's nothing to fix," the Doctor said, pulling on a lever to no effect. "She's perished. The last TARDIS in the universe, extinct."

"We can get help, yeah?" Rose said.

"Where from?" the Doctor asked.

"Where we've landed. We've got to be somewhere," Rose said.

"She's got a point, Doctor," Clara said.

"We fell out of the vortex. Through the void, into nothingness," the Doctor said. "We're in some sort of no-place. The silent realm. The last dimension."

"Otherwise known as London," Mickey said, holding the door open, laughing.

Clara went after him as he headed outside, then stopped at the sight in front of her.

"London, England, Earth. Hold on..." Mickey said. He went and picked up a newspaper that was nearby. "First of February this year. Not exactly far flung, is it?" Rose went over and looked over his shoulder.

"So, this is London?" the Doctor asked.

"Yup," Mickey said.

"Your city," the Doctor said.

"That's the one," Mickey said.

"Just as we left it?" the Doctor asked.

"Bang on," Mickey said.

"And that includes the zeppelins?" he asked.

All around them, there were zeppelins in the air, circling above London. Or, what looked like London.

"What the hell?" Mickey wondered.

"I was just thinking the same thing," Clara said.

"That's beautiful," Rose said.

"Okay, it's London with a big international zeppelin festival," Mickey said.

"This is not your world," the Doctor said.

"But if the date's the same, it's parallel, right?" Mickey asked. "Am I right? It's a parallel London where they've got zeppelins. Am I right? I'm right, aren't I?"

"Must be," the Doctor said.

"So a parallel world where-" Rose said, but Mickey said, "Oh, come on! You see it on films, like an alternative to our world where everything's the same, but a little bit different, like, I dunno, traffic lights are blue, Tony Blair never got elected."

"And he's still alive," Rose said distantly, looking at a sign that had Pete Tyler on it. "A parallel world and my dad's still alive."

"Don't look at it, Rose," the Doctor said sternly. "Don't even think about it. This is not your world."

"He's my dad, and..." Rose said.

Clara wondered if her own parents were still alive in this world or not. Rose reached out and touched the sign and Pete said, "Trust me on this."

"Well, that's weird," Rose said. "But he's real. He's a success! He was always planning these daft little schemes of healthy drinks and stuff. Everyone said they were useless. But he did it."

"Rose, if you ever trusted me, then listen to me now," the Doctor said, taking her by the shoulders to look her in the eyes. "Stop looking at it! Your father's dead. He died when you were six months old. That's not your Pete. That is A Pete. For all we know, he's got his own Jackie. His own Rose. His own daughter that's someone else, but not you. You can't see him. Not ever."

That opened Clara's mind to the fact that there might be another her somewhere in this place. She always wanted a twin growing up. That made her all the more eager to go look for her parents.

The Doctor wanted to go check out the TARDIS, so he left Mickey in charge of keeping an eye on the girls.

"Are you thinking about them?" Rose asked Clara.

"Yeah," Clara said. "They both might be alive and here somewhere. Makes me want to find them."

"Yeah," Rose said. "We should go look for them."

As soon as Mickey went into the TARDIS, that's exactly what they did. Except it was more like just wandering around not finding anything. The two girls sat down on a bench overlooking the water.

"They sure are noisy," Clara commented on the zeppelins. The propellers were thumping loudly overhead.

Rose's mobile started beeping, then Clara's followed second later.

"Free trial period?" Clara said, looking at the screen. "Does yours say the same thing?"

"Yeah," Rose said. Both the girls clicked on it, and a man came on screen saying, "...And it's good news for Great Britain as John Lumic returns to the country of his birth. Mr. Lumic, the inventor of high-content metal, has denied allegations of ill health."

"We're all flesh and blood, but the brain is what makes us human," Mr. Lumic said. "And my mind is more creative than ever."

"With shares in Cybus Industries doubling in price, Mr. Lumic..." Clara and Rose both looked up to see a zeppelin flying overhead with a giant 'C' on the bottom of it.

"Bet that's him," Clara said.

"Yeah, probably," Rose said.

Rose got on her mobile and typed in the name Peter Tyler into a search engine.

"I found him," Rose said to Clara.

"D'you reckon my dad's with him?" Clara asked.

"I dunno," Rose said. "But we should go see."

"Not just yet. We should wait for the Doctor to get back," Clara said.

"Alright, fine," Rose sighed. "But you know he won't let us go."

"It's worth a try," Clara said, determined.

They climbed up and sat on the back of the bench and watched the water, talking about when they were little. Rose searched for the two of them in this world and found that neither of them existed, but their parents did.

"There you two are!" the Doctor exclaimed, walking up with Mickey. "You both alright? No applause. I fixed it. Twenty-four hours and we're flying back to reality," he said, showing them the green light he had. He looked at their faces and then at the mobile Rose was still holding. "What is it?"

"Our phones connected. There's this Cybus Network, it finds your phone," Rose said. "It gave us internet access."

"Rose, whatever it says, this is the wrong world," the Doctor said.

"We don't exist," Rose said. "Clara and I."

"What d'you mean?" the Doctor asked.

"There's no Rose or Clara Tyler. We were never born," Rose said. "There's Pete, my dad, and Jackie, still married mum, and Clara's parents, but they never had kids."

"Give me that phone," the Doctor said, trying to snatch it from her, but Rose jerked it from his reach.

"They're rich," Rose said. "They've got a house and cars and everything they want, but they haven't got me."

"It's the same for my parents," Clara said. "My dad works for Lumic, but I don't exist for them."

"I've gotta see him," Rose said, facing the Doctor.

"You can't," the Doctor insisted.

"I just wanna see him," Rose said.

"I can't let you," the Doctor said.

"You said twenty-four hours!" Rose said.

"You can't become their daughter," the Doctor said. "That's not the way it works! Mickey, tell her!"

"Twenty-four hours, yeah?" Mickey asked, walking away.

"Where are you going?" the Doctor asked.

"Well, I can do what I want," Mickey said.

"We've got the address and everything," Rose said, as she and Clara started in the other direction as Mickey.

"Stay where you are!" the Doctor said. "All three of you. Rose, Clara, come back here! Mickey, come back here, right now!"

"I just want to see him!" Rose said.

"I do, too," Clara said, backing away.

"Yeah, I've got things to see and all," Mickey said.

"Like what?" the Doctor asked him.

"You don't know anything about me, do ya?" Mickey asked. "It's always about Rose and Clara. I'm just a spare part."

"I'm sorry," Rose said. "We've got to go."

"Sorry, Doctor," Clara said, looking apologetic.

Rose and Clara turned around, walking off together. The Doctor caught up to them after a while, telling them that it was all a very bad idea and that he should just drag them back to the TARDIS.

"You can try, but you'll never succeed," Clara said, frowning at him.

"Where would Mickey be going?" the Doctor asked Rose and Clara. They took turns explaining to him of how his grandmother had died.

"Mickey's mother just couldn't cope," Rose said. "His dad hung around for a while, but then he just sort of wandered off. He was brought up by his gran. She was such a great woman. Oh, she used to _slap_ him. And then, she died. She tripped and fell down the stairs. It's about five years ago, now. Clara and I were still in school."

"She was amazing," Clara sighed.

"I never knew," the Doctor said.

"You never asked," Rose countered.

"You never said," the Doctor said.

"That's Mickey," Rose said, "I 'spose we just take him for granted. Do you think she's still alive, his gran?"

"Could be," the Doctor said. "Not the same, parallel world. Gingerbread house. We need to get out of here as fast as we can."

There was a sudden beeping noise and everyone on the street just paused. Not just paused, but more like froze.

"What's going on?" Clara wondered.

"What're they all doing?" Rose asked.

"They've stopped!" the Doctor said. He walked up to a man to examine the silver pods in the man's ears. "These are ear pieces," he said. "Like Bluetooth attachments but everyone's connected together.

Clara's phone started beeping, so she pulled it out of her pocket. Rose had done the same and said, "It's on my phone. It's automatic. Look. It's downloading. Is this what they're all getting?"

"Mine phone's doing it, too," Clara said.

"News, international news, sport, weather..." Rose said, as the categories flashed across the screen of her phone. Clara's was doing the exact same thing. The Doctor put on his brainy specs and compared the girls' phones.

"They get it direct," he said. "Downloaded right into their heads."

"That's a scary thought," Clara said, shivering.

"TV schedule, lottery numbers..." Rose read.

"Everyone shares the same information," the Doctor said. "Daily download, published by Cybus Industries."

The phone flipped to joke, and all the people around them started laughing, then went about their lives as if nothing had happened.

"That's seriously creepy," Clara commented.

"You lot, you're obsessed. You'd do anything for the latest upgrade," the Doctor said.

"Oi! Not our lot. Different world, remember?" Rose said.

"Not so far from your world. This place is only parallel," the Doctor said. "Ooh, look at that. Cybus Industries owns just about every company in Britain, including Vitex. Mr. Pete Tyler is _very_ well connected."

Rose only smiled, trying to convince him to let her see her father.

"Okay, I give up," the Doctor said, tossing her mobile back to her. "Let's go and see him."

They headed off down the street, Clara linking arms with the Doctor.

"I hope my dad is there as well," she said. "I haven't seen him or mum since I was nine."

It was dark by the time they reached Tyler Mansion. The Doctor, Rose, and Clara crouched down by some bushes as a black limo drove by them.

"They've got visitors," the Doctor said.

"February the first, mum's birthday," Rose said. "Even in a parallel universe, she still loves a party."

"No doubt she's going for thirty-nine instead of forty," Clara said.

"No doubt," Rose said.

"Well, given Pete Tyler's guest list, I wouldn't mind a look," the Doctor said. "And there is one guaranteed way of getting inside," he said, waving the psychic paper at them.

"Psychic paper," Rose said, getting excited.

"Who d'you wanna be?" the Doctor asked.

Turns out, the Doctor's idea of getting in meant that they were part of the serving staff. Rose and Clara had to wear black maid-looking dresses and carry trays of food that made Clara's mouth water. They entered the main room where the party was and the Doctor followed, wearing a waiter's outfit and also carrying a tray.

"I hate you," Clara said through her teeth.

"No, you don't," the Doctor said.

"We could've been anyone," Rose said.

"Got us in, didn't it?" the Doctor said.

"You're in charge of the psychic paper," Rose said. "We could've been guests. Celebrities. Sir Doctor, Dames Rose and Clara. We end up serving. I had enough of that back home."

"If you wanna know what's going on, work in the kitchens," the Doctor said. "According to Lucy, that man over there-"

"Who's Lucy?" Rose asked.

"She's carrying the salmon pinwheels," the Doctor said.

"Oh, that's Lucy, is it?" Clara asked, jealous.

"Yeah," the Doctor said, oblivious. "Lucy says that man is the president of Great Britain."

"What, there's a president, not a Prime Minister?" Rose asked.

"Seems so," the Doctor said.

"Maybe Lucy is just a bit thick," Rose said, making fun of the woman.

"Thanks," Clara said to Rose.

The two girls followed after the Doctor, who crossed the room.

"Excuse me!" a voice said. "Thank you very much. Thank you. If I could just have your attention, please."

Rose wandered through the room to the staircase, where Pete Tyler was standing.

"I'd just like to say, uh, thank you to you all for coming on this, uh, this very special occasion. My wife's thirty-ninth," Pete said.

"Told you so," Clara muttered to Rose.

"Trust me on this," Pete said, making people laugh. "And so, without any further ado, here she is. The birthday girl. My lovely wife, Jackie Tyler."

Jackie came down the stairs, looking lovely, Clara thought.

"Now," she said, "I'm not giving a speech. That's what my parties are famous for. No work, no politics, just a few good mates and plenty of black market whiskey. Pardon me, Mr. President. And, yeah! Get on with it. Enjoy! Enjoy!"

"You can't stay," the Doctor said to Rose. "Even if there was some way of telling them."

"Course I can't," Rose said, after she had watched Pete and Jackie walk right by them. "I've still got my mum at home. My real mum. I can't just leave her, could I? It's just...they've got each other. Mum's got no one."

"She's got you two," the Doctor insisted. "Those two haven't. All these different worlds. Not one of them gets it right."

"At least you've seen your parents," Clara grumbled. She hadn't seen her parents anywhere. Maybe her dad didn't get along with Pete?

"Rose!" Jackie's voice exclaimed. Rose's head whipped around. "There's my little girl! Come to mummy, come to mummy! Good girl! Good girl, aren't you?"

The Doctor burst out laughing, then stopped at the sight of Rose's face. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Rose elected to stay and serve people where she could see Pete and Jackie, while the Doctor and Clara wondered off to have a look around. Clara knew that if she hadn't seen her parents by now, she never would. The Doctor walked past a room, before stepping back and looking inside it. There was a computer sitting on a desk that had the Cybus Industries logo on it.

"I'll keep watch," Clara whispered to him. He shut the door behind them and Clara peeked out of the small glass windows that were in the door. She glanced over at the Doctor to see that he had put on his brainy specs.

Clara abandoned her post to look at the computer when the Doctor found a video.

"'The most precious thing on this Earth is the human brain... This is the ultimate upgrade'," the computer said, showing metal coming up from the earpieces to connect above the head in a half square shape. "'Our greatest step into cyberspace.'"

"What is it, Doctor?" Clara asked.

"Cybus," the Doctor said, rushing to the door. Clara followed quickly on his heels. They found Rose through the crowd and followed her to the window. Outside, there were metal men marching outside.

"It's happening again," the Doctor said.

"What d'you mean?" Rose asked.

"I've seen them before," the Doctor said.

"What are they?" Rose asked.

"Cybermen," the Doctor said.

Behind them, glass shattered as Cybermen entered the room. People started screaming and rushing off in different directions. The Doctor jerked Rose and Clara away from the door they were near, as a Cyberman kicked it in. They were now trapped in the crowd with all the panicking guests.

"What do we do?" Clara whispered, more to herself.

The three of them were standing behind the president, who said, "Mr. Lumic."

"Mr. President. I suppose a remark about crashing the party would be appropriate at this point, sir," a voice said. Clara supposed it to be Mr. Lumic, whom she had read about on her mobile. He laughed evily.

"I forbade this," the president said.

"These are my children, sir. Would you deny my family?" Mr. Lumic asked.

"What are they? Robots?" Rose asked.

"Worse than that," the Doctor replied.

"Who were these people?" the president asked.

"It doesn't matter," Mr. Lumic said.

"They're people?" Rose asked.

"They were," the Doctor said. "Til they had all their humanity taken away. It's a living brain jammed inside a cybernetic body. With a heart of steel. All emotions removed."

"Why no emotion?" Rose asked.

"Because it hurts," the Doctor said.

"I demand to know, Lumic. These people, who were they?" the president asked, his voice rising.

"The homeless, and wretched, and useless!" Lumic said. "Until I saved them. Elevated them. And gave them life eternal. And now, I leave you in their capable hands. Good night, sir. Good night, Mr. President!"

A cyberman stepped in front of the president and said, "We have been upgraded."

"Into what?" the Doctor said loudly from beside the girls.

"The next level of mankind," the cyberman said. "We are human point two. Every citizen will receive a free upgrade. You will become like us."

"I'm sorry," the president said. "I'm so sorry for what's been done to you. But listen to me. This experiment ends. Tonight!"

"Upgrading is compulsory," the cyberman said.

"And if I refuse?" the president asked.

"Don't," the Doctor said quickly. Rose and Clara both looked at him.

"What if I refuse?" the president asked.

"I'm telling you, don't!" the Doctor said, stepping forward.

"What happens if I refuse?" the president asked, ignoring the Doctor's warning.

"Then you are not compatible," the cyberman said.

"What happens then?" the president asked.

"You will be deleted," the cyberman said. It reached up and touched the president's shoulder with its hand. Blue bolts of electricity came out of its hand and shocked the president, who fell to the floor, dead. People immediately started screaming and rushing about. The cybermen randomly started killing people, whether they refused or not.

"We have to help them!" Clara insisted.

"There's nothing we can do," the Doctor said, pulling her and Rose out a window.

"My mum's in there," Rose said, pulling back, trying to to go back inside.

"She is not your mother! Come on!" the Doctor said, pulling the girls out into the darkness. They immediately ran up a slope and into more cybermen, marching on towards the house. They ran back to the house and went along the edge of it. They came across Pete, who jumped out of the same window they had.

"Quick! Quick!" Rose yelled, and Pete followed after them.

"Pete, there's no way out!" the Doctor yelled, looking around.

"The side gates," Pete said, leading the way. "Who are you? How d'you know so much?"

"Oh, you wouldn't believe it in a million years," the Doctor said, switching directions as they ran into more cybermen.

"What do we do?" Clara yelled.

"Who's that?" Rose wondered, as figures came running at them, holding guns.

"Get behind me!" one of the figures yelled out. The Doctor, Rose, Clara, and Pete ran towards the figures, one of which was Mickey, and ducked down behind them as they shot at the cybermen with guns. It didn't do anything, though, but the cybermen stopped for some reason.

"Oh, my gosh. Look at you! I thought I'd never see you again," Rose said, hugging Mickey.

Mickey jerked away and said, "Yeah, no offense, sweetheart, but who the hell are you?"

"Rose!" Mickey said, running at them. "That's not me. That's like...the other one."

Rose looks at him, then at Ricky

"Oh, as if things weren't bad enough, there's two Mickeys," the Doctor said.

"It's Ricky," the other one said.

"But there's more of them..." Mickey said, as the cybermen surrounded them.

"We're surrounded," Rose said.

"Way to point out the obvious," Clara muttered. Ricky lifted up his gun and pointed it at the cybermen.

"Put the guns down," the Doctor said. "Bullets won't stop them."

One of the men, named Jake, that was with Ricky and Mickey started firing anyways.

"No! Stop shooting, now!" the Doctor said, pushing Jake's gun aside. "We surrender! Hands up! There's no damage us, we're good stock. We volunteer for the upgrade program. Take us to be processed."

"You are rouge elements," the cyberman said.

"But we surrender!" the Doctor said.

"You are incompatible," the cyberman said.

"But this is a surrender!" the Doctor said.

"You will be deleted!" the cyberman said.

"But we're surrendering! Listen to me, we surrender!" the Doctor yelled.

"You are inferior. Man will be reborn as cybermen," the cyberman said. "But you will perish under maximum deletion. Delete! Delete! Delete! Delete!"

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	20. Age of Steel

**The Age of Steel**

"Delete! Delete!" the cyberman in front of them chanted with its arm stretched towards them.

The Doctor suddenly thrust his hand forward with the power cell in it and pointed it at the cybermen. A gold light came out of it and hit the first cyberman's head and bounced around to all the rest of them. The cybermen screamed out, as if they were in pain, then disintegrated in front of them.

"What the hell was that?" Ricky asked.

"We'll have that instead-Run!" the Doctor shouted, as there were still cybermen around them. The Doctor grabbed Clara's hand, pulling her along with him. A blue van pulled up beside them, horn honking.

"Everybody in!" the woman driving the van shouted.

The Doctor pushed Clara towards the van, then ran after Pete, who was attempting to go back into the house.

"Doctor!" Clara shouted. "Rose! Get in!"

"Come on!" the woman called. "Get a move on!"

Rose was still standing outside the van, staring at the house. Clara held out her hand and helped Rose into the van and the Doctor jumped in right after her and slid the door shut.

"Finished chatting? I've never seen a slower getaway in my life!" Mrs. Moore said, taking off.

Clara sat next to the Doctor and he put his arm around her. She felt cold, but didn't know if it was from the events of that night, or the actual weather. The Doctor examined the power cell with his free hand and Ricky was glaring at it.

"What was that thing?" Ricky asked from the front of the van.

"Little bit of technology from my home," the Doctor said. Clara could now see that it was the light that he had taken from the TARDIS.

"It's stopped glowing. Has it run out?" Mickey asked from beside Clara.

"It's on a revitalizing loop. It'll charge back up in about four hours," the Doctor said.

"Right, so we don't have a weapon anymore," Ricky said.

"Yeah, we've got weapons," Jake said from beside Ricky. "Might not be one those metal things, but they're good enough for men like him," he looked at Pete.

"Leave him alone! What's he done wrong?" Rose burst out.

"Oh, you know. Just left a trap that's wiped out the government and left Lumic in charge," Jake said.

"If I was part of all that, do you think I'd leave my wife inside?" Pete asked.

"Maybe your plan went wrong," Ricky said. "Still gives us the right to execute you, though."

"Talk about execution, you make me your enemy. And take some really good advice-you don't wanna do that," the Doctor said, staring hard at Ricky.

"All the same. We have evidence that says Pete Tyler had been working for Lumic since 20.5," Ricky said.

"Is that true?" Rose asked, looking at Pete, taken aback. Pete just looked uncomfortable.

"Tell 'em, Mrs. M," Ricky said.

"We've got a government mole who feeds us information," Mrs. Moore said. "Lumic's private files, his South American operations...the lot. Secret broadcasts twice a week."

"Broadcasts from Gemini?" Pete asked.

"And how do you know that?" Ricky growled.

"I'm Gemini," Pete said. "That's me."

"Yeah, well, you would say that," Ricky said.

"Encrypted wave length, 657 using binary 9. That's the only reason I was working for Lumic. To get information. I thought I was broadcasting to the Security Services. What do I get? Scooby-Doo and his gang. They've even got the van," Pete said.

"No, no, no. But the Preacher's know what they're doing. Ricky said he's London's most wanted," Mickey said, confused.

"Yeah, that's not exactly..." Ricky said.

"Not exactly what?" Mickey asked.

"I'm London's Most Wanted for...parking tickets," Ricky said.

Clara smiled and tried to cover up her laugh.

"Great," Pete said.

"They were deliberate! I was fighting the system," Ricky said. "Park anywhere, that's me."

"Good policy," the Doctor said, obviously liking that. "I do much the same. I'm the Doctor, by the way, if anybody's interested."

"I'm Clara," she said, giving her fingers a wiggle.

"And I'm Rose. Hello," Rose said.

"Even better," Pete said. "That's the name of my dog. Still, least I've got the catering staff on my side."

"I knew you weren't a traitor," Rose said quietly to him.

"Why's that, then?" Pete asked.

"Oh, here we go," Clara muttered.

"I just did," Rose said, after looking at her and the Doctor.

"They took my wife," Pete said.

"She might still be alive," Rose said.

"That's even worse," Pete said. "'Cos that's what Lumic does. He takes the living and he turns them into those machines."

"Cybermen," the Doctor corrected and all eyes turned to him. "They're called cybermen. And I'd take those earpods off if I were you."

Pete took them off quickly and handed them to the Doctor, who soniced them, disabling them. "You never know. Lumic could be listening. But he's overreached himself. He's still just a businessman. He's assassinated the president. All we need to do is get to the city and inform the authorities. Because I promise you, this ends tonight!"

"Why're we stopping?" Clara asked, as the van pulled over.

"You need to see this," Mrs. Moore said.

They all climbed out of the van to find people like before. Only this time, they were walking somewhere. Clara guessed it was to a factory to be turned into cybermen.

"What's going on?" Rose asked.

"It's the earpods. Lumic's taking control," the Doctor said.

"Can't we just, I dunno, take them off?" Rose asked, reaching up to take off a man's earpods.

"Don't!" the Doctor said. "Cause a brain storm. Human race-for such an intelligent lot, but you are susceptible. Give anyone a chance to take control and you submit. Sometimes, I think you like it. Easy life."

"Hey, come and see," Jake said from the street corner.

Clara went over with everyone else to peek around the corner that Ricky was at. Out in the street, cybermen were rounding up people from their homes and marching them down the street.

"Where are they all going?" Rose asked.

"I don't know. Lumic must have a base of operation," the Doctor said.

"We've got to save them," Clara said, as Pete said, "Battersea. That's where he was building his prototypes."

"Why's he doin' it?" Rose asked.

"He's dying," Pete said. "This all started out as a way of prolonging life. Keeping the brain alive. Any cost."

"Thing is, we've seen cybermen before, Clara and I? Haven't we?" Rose asked. "That head—tose handle shapes in Van Statten's museum."

"I remember them," Clara said, recalling the Cybermen in the museum.

"Ah, there are cybermen in _our_ universe," the Doctor said. "They start out in an ordinary world, just like this, then swarmed across the galaxy. This lot are a parallel version, they started from scratch, right here on Earth."

"What are you three on about?" Pete asked.

"Never mind that," Ricky said. "Come on, we need to get out of the city."

There were cybermen marching up behind them.

"Okay, split up. Mrs. Moore, you look after that lot. Jake, distract them, go right. I'll go left. We'll meet up back at Bridge Street," Ricky said. "Move!"

"I'm going with him," Mickey said, then kissed Rose before dashing off.

"Come on, let's go," Mrs. Moore said.

"Come on, Rose!" Clara yelled, as Rose stood staring after Mickey for a moment. They all took off running down the street, but were cut off by cybermen.

"There!" the Mrs. Moore shouted, taking off down an alleyway.

"Behind the rubbish bins," Clara said, as they got out of the alley and into the next street. The five of them, Pete, Rose, Mrs. Moore, the Doctor, and Clara all crouched down and hid behind the bins. Clara held the Doctor's hand as they heard the sound of the cybermen marching closer and closer to their hiding spot.

Clara held her breath as they stopped right by them. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and used it. There was a beeping noise, then the cybermen marched on again. They all peeked out over the bins to see the cybermen marching off down the street.

"Go," the Doctor whispered.

They got out from behind the bins and ran down the street that the cybermen had come from. They finally made it to Bridge Street, where they paused to catch their breath and wait for Ricky, Mickey, and Jake.

Jake ran up saying, "I've run past the river. You should have seen it. The whole city's on the watch. Hundreds of cybermen all down the Thames."

Someone else ran up and Clara could tell from his expression and his running that it was Mickey and not Ricky.

"Here he is," Jake said. "Which one are you?"

"I'm sorry. The Cybermen. He couldn't..." Mickey said.

"Are you Ricky? ARE YOU RICKY?" Jake yelled.

"Mickey, that's you, isn't it?" Rose asked.

"Yeah," Mickey said. Rose ran up to him and hugged him tightly. "He tried. He was runnin'," Mickey said to Jake, who turned away. "There was too many of them."

"Shut it," Jake said, pain all over his face.

"There was nothing I could do," Mickey said.

"I said to shut it!" Jake said. "Don't even talk about him. You're nothing, you are. Nothing."

"We can mourn him when London is safe," the Doctor said. "But now, we move on."

Clara was filled with adrenaline as they made their way to the cybermen factory by the Thames River.

"The whole of London's been sealed off and the entire population's been taken in that place," the Doctor said, as they caught sight of the enormous factory. "To be 'converted'."

"We've got to get in there and shut it down," Rose said.

"How do we do that?" Mickey asked.

"Oh, I'll think of something," the Doctor said.

"You're just making this up as you go along!" Mickey said indignantly.

"Yup!" the Doctor said, popping the 'p.' "But I do it brilliantly."

"Absolutely," Clara said, smiling, as Mickey shrugged his shoulder in agreement.

Mrs. Moore brought out her computer to show them the blueprints.

"That's a schematic of the old factory," she said. "Look, cooling tunnels underneath the plant big enough to walk through."

"We go under there and up through the control center," the Doctor said.

Mrs. Moore hummed in agreement.

"There's another way in," Pete said. "Through the front door. If they've taken Jackie for upgrading, that's how she'll get in."

"We can't just go strolling up," Jake said.

"Or, we could," Mrs. Moore said, digging in her bag and pulling out earpods. "With these. Fake earpods. Dead. No signal. But put them on, the cybermen would mistake you for one of the crowd."

"Then that's my job," Pete said.

"You'll have to show no emotion. None at all," the Doctor said. "Any sign of emotion would give you away."

"How many of those you got?" Rose asked Mrs. Moore.

"Just two sets," Mrs. Moore said.

"Okay," Rose said. "That's the best way of finding Jackie, then I'll go with ya."

"Why does she matter to you?" Pete asked.

"We haven't got time," Rose said. "Doctor, I'm going with him, and that's that."

"No stopping you, is there?" the Doctor asked.

"Nope," Rose said.

"Tell you what, we can take the earpods at the same time," the Doctor said. "Give people their minds back, so they don't walk into that place like sheep. Jakey-boy, Lumic's transmitting the control signal. Must be from over there. There it is. On the Zeppelin, see? Great big transmitter. Good thing Lumic likes showing off. Reckon you can take it out?"

"Consider it done," Jake said, smiling.

"Mrs. Moore, would you care to accompany me into the cooling tunnel?" the Doctor asked.

"How could I refuse an offer of cooling tunnels?" the older woman said.

"We attack on three sides. Above, between, below. We get to the control center, we stop the conversion machines," the Doctor said.

"What about me?" Mickey asked.

"Mickey, you can, um-" the Doctor started.

"What? Stay out of trouble? Be the tin dog?" Mickey asked. "No, those days are over. I'm going with Jake."

"I don't need you, idiot," Jake said.

"I'm not an idiot!" Mickey yelled angrily. "You got that? I'm offerin' to help."

"Whatever," Jake said, walking off.

"Mickey," the Doctor called, as Mickey went to follow. "Good luck."

"Yeah, you too," Mickey said. "Rose, I'll see you later."

"Yeah, you better," Rose said.

"If we survive this, I'll see you back at the TARDIS," the Doctor said.

"That's a promise," Mickey said.

"Do us proud, Mickey," Clara said, smiling at him.

Mickey then turned to follow after Jake.

"What about me, Doctor?" Clara asked. "Where do I go?"

"Um, you can come with me and Mrs. Moore through the cooling tunnels," he said, giving his ridiculous grin.

He then went and hugged Rose tightly.

"Good luck," he said.

Clara then hugged Rose and said, "You'd better come back. I mean it, Rose Tyler."

"You, too," Rose said, before going off with Pete.

The Doctor, Mrs. Moore, and Clara found the hatch door with a ladder that led down to the cooling tunnels. Mrs. Moore went first, then the Doctor, and then Clara.

"It's freezing," Mrs. Moore said.

"Wish I didn't have a dress on," Clara said.

"Any sign of a light switch?" the Doctor said.

"Can't see a thing," Mrs. Moore said. "But I've got these. A device for every occasion."

She handed the Doctor and Clara head lamps that she had pulled out of her bag. Clara had a hard time getting hers on her head, due to her very curly, red hair. She finally managed, though.

"Haven't got a hot dog in there, have you? I'm starving," the Doctor said.

"Of all the things to wish for," Mrs. Moore said, laughing. "That's mechanically recovered meat!"

"I know. It's the Cyberman of food, but it's tasty," the Doctor said.

"A proper torch as well," Mrs. Moore said, handing them both flashlights.

"Let's see where we are," the Doctor said, flipping his torch on. Clara gasped and jumped back as the light hit a Cyberman. There were more along the wall as well. "Already converted, just paralyzed. Come on," he said, as if it were nothing.

"Is he always this mad?" Mrs. Moore asked Clara.

"Pretty much," Clara said, as they followed after him.

"Let's go slowly," the Doctor said, after tapping one of the cybermen on the face. "Keep an eye out for trip systems."

Clara hugged the opposite wall, as far from the Cybermen as she possibly could.

"They're freakin' me out," she said, eyes wide for any sight of movement.

"How did you get into this, then?" the Doctor asked Mrs. Moore. "Rattling along with the Preachers?"

"Oh, I used to be ordinary," Mrs. Moore said. "Worked at Cybus Industries. '95. 'Til one day I find something I'm not supposed to. A file on the mainframe. All I did was read it. Then suddenly, I've got men with guns knocking in the middle of the night. Life on the run. Then I found the Preachers. They needed a techie, so I...I just sat down and taught myself everything."

"What about Mr. Moore?" the Doctor asked.

"Well, he's not called Moore," Mrs. Moore said. "I got that from a book. 'Mrs. Moore.' It's safer not to use real names. But he thinks I'm dead. It was the only way to keep him safe. Him and the kids. What about you two? Got any family or-?"

"Oh, who needs family?" the Doctor said. "I've got the whole world on my shoulders. Go on, then. What's your real name?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Angela Price," Mrs. Moore said. "Don't tell a soul."

"Not a word," the Doctor said.

"I promise," Clara said, smiling.

"Doctor, did that one just move?" Mrs. Moore asked, freaking Clara out.

"What?" Clara asked, shinning her flashlight around.

"It's just the torch light," the Doctor said, trying to calm both the women. "Keep going, come on."

He spoke a little too soon when one of the Cybermen fully moved.

"They're waking up! Run!" the Doctor yelled. They got to a ladder and the Doctor quickly climbed first, followed by Clara, who was really scared, and Mrs. Moore. "Come on!"

"Get up there," Mrs. Moore said. "Quick! Quick! They're coming!"

The Doctor was working on sonicing the hatch at the top of the ladder.

"Doctor!" Clara cried out in alarm. The Cybermen were marching closer and closer.

"Open it! Open it!" Mrs. Moore yelled.

He finally got the hatch open and Clara climbed as quickly as she could after him.

"Climb! Quick! Quick!" Mrs. Moore shrieked. The Cybermen started climbing the ladder after them, but the Doctor closed the hatch and sealed it after them.

"Come on! Come on!" the Doctor said, waving his hand. "Oh, good team, Clara and Mrs. Moore."

Mrs. Moore just nodded, looking like she was unable to speak. Ditching the torches and head lamps (Clara rubbed her head in relief), the Doctor, Clara, and Mrs. Moore cautiously walked down a hallway that had a railing on one side. They jumped back as a Cyberman stepped right in their path and said, "You are not upgraded!"

"Yeah, well, upgrade this!" Mrs. Moore said, throwing something at the Cyberman. It stuck to its chest, where it started shocking the Cyberman, just like it did to kill people.

"What the hell was that thing?!" the Doctor asked, sounding highly impressed.

"Electro-magnetic bomb," Mrs. Moore said. "Takes out computes, I figured it might stop a Cybersuit."

"Gave it a taste of its own medicine," Clara said.

"Yeah, you figured right," the Doctor said, pulling out his sonic screwdriver. "Now, let's have a look. Know your enemy. Logo on the front. Lumic's turned them into a brand. Heart of steel. But look," he held up something gooey and stringy from the inside of the Cyberman.

"Is that flesh?" Mrs. Moore asked.

"Mmm, central nervous system," the Doctor said. "Artificially grown and thrown inside the suit to respond like a living thing. Well, it is a living thing. Ooh, but look. Emotional inhibitor. Stops them feeling anything."

"But...why?" Mrs. Moore asked.

"Still got a human brain. Imagine its reaction if it could see itself. Realize itself inside this thing. They'd go insane," the Doctor said.

"So they cut out the one thing that makes them human," Mrs. Moore said.

"Because they have to," the Doctor said.

"Why...am...I...cold?" the Cyberman asked.

"Oh, my gosh, it's alive," Mrs. Moore said. "It can feel."

"We broke the inhibitor. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," the Doctor said to the Cyberman.

"Why...so...cold?" the Cyberman asked.

"Can you remember your name?" the Doctor asked.

"Sally. Sally Phelan," the Cyberman said.

"You're a woman," Mrs. Moore stated.

"Where's...Gareth?" Sally asked.

"Who's Gareth?" Mrs. Moore asked.

"He...can't...see...me...It's...unlucky...the...night...before," Sally said.

"You're getting married," Mrs. Moore said.

"I'm...cold," Sally said. "I'm...so...cold."

"It's alright," the Doctor said. "You sleep now, Sally. Just go to sleep."

He soniced the inside of the Cyberman, shutting it down. Clara took a deep breath, saddened.

"Sally Phelan didn't die for nothing," the Doctor said. "'Cos that's the key! The Emotional inhibitor! If we could find the code behind it, the cancellation code, then feed it throughout the system into every Cyberman's head, they'll realize what they are."

"And what happens then?" Mrs. Moore asked.

"I think it would kill them," the Doctor said. "Can we do that?"

"We've got to," Mrs. Moore said. "Before they kill everyone else. There's no choice, Doctor. It's got to be done."

"Come on, Doctor," Clara said, standing up. "Better a few people than the whole human race, though I would prefer it that nobody died."

Mrs. Moore stood up and Clara gasped. There was a Cyberman right behind her. It reached out and touched her neck, shocking her and killing her.

"No!" Clara yelled.

"No, no, no, you didn't have to kill her!" the Doctor yelled, pulling Clara close to him as another Cyberman approached.

"Senses detect a binary vascular system. You are a unknown upgrade. You will be taken for a analysis," the Cyberman said.

The Doctor started following the Cyberman that led the way with Clara clinging to his back, both of them looking sad and disgusted. They were taken to a room that was full of Cybermen and Rose and Pete.

"We've been captured, but don't worry, because Rose and Pete are still out there. They can rescue us. Oh, well, never mind," the Doctor said sarcastically. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Rose said. "But they got Jackie."

"We were too late, Lumic killed her," Pete said.

"Then where is he, the famous Mr. Lumic?" the Doctor asked, looking around. "Don't we get a chance to meet our lord and master?"

"He had been upgraded," a Cyberman nearby said.

"So he's just like you," the Doctor said flatly.

"He is superior. The Lumic Unit has been designated Cyber Controller," the Cyberman said.

All the Cybermen in the room stood at attention as the doors with the giant 'C' on them opened. In rolled a Cyberman with glowing white eyes on a giant chair of wires.

"This is the Age of Steel and I am its creator," the Lumic Cyberman said.

Clara gave a small smile, despite how scared she was, as the sound of people screaming.

"That's my friends at work," the Doctor said. "Good boys! Mr. Lumic, I think that's a vote for free will," he said, winking.

"I have factories waiting on seven continents. If the earpods have failed, then the Cybermen will take humanity by force. London has fallen. So shall the world. I will bring peace to the world. Everlasting peace. And unity and uniformity," Lumic said.

"And imagination? What about that?" the Doctor asked. "The one thing that led you here. Imagination. You're killing it, dead!"

"What is your name?" Lumic asked.

"I'm the Doctor," he said.

"A redundant title. Doctor's need not exist," Lumic said. "Cybermen never sicken."

"Yeah, but that's it! That's exactly the point!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Oh, Lumic, you're a clever man. I'd call you a genius, except I'm in the room. But everything you've invented, you did to fight your sickness. And that's brilliant. That's so human. But once you get rid of sickness and mortality, then what's there to strive for? Eh? The Cybermen won't advance. You'll just stop! You'll stay like this forever. A metal Earth with metal men and metal thoughts. Lacking the one thing that makes this planet so alive! People! Ordinary, stupid, brilliant people!"

"You are proud of your emotions?" Lumic said.

"Oh, yes," the Doctor said.

"Then tell me, Doctor. Have you known grief?" Lumic asked. "Rage? And pain?"

"Yes, yes I have," the Doctor said.

"And they hurt?" Lumic asked.

"Oh, yes," the Doctor said.

"I can set you free," Lumic said. "Would you not want that? A life without pain?"

"You might as well kill me," the Doctor said.

"Then I take that option," Lumic said.

"It's not yours to take!" the Doctor said. "You're a Cyber Controller. You don't control me or anything with blood in its heart!"

"You have no means of stopping me," Lumic said. "I have an army. A species of my own."

"You just don't get it, do you?" the Doctor asked, putting his free hand to his face, exasperated. "An army is nothing! Because those ordinary people, they're the key. The most ordinary person could change the world! Some ordinary man or woman. Some idiot. All it takes is, say, the right numbers. Say the right codes. Say, for example, the code right behind the Emotional Inhibitor. The code right in front of him. 'Cos even an idiot knows computers these days. Knows how to get past firewalls and passwords. Knows how to find something encrypted in the Lumic Family Database under, what was it Pete? Binary what?"

"Binary nine," Pete said loudly, catching on.

"An _idiot_ could find that code," the Doctor said. "Cancellation code. And he'd keep on typing. Keep on fighting. Anything to save his friends."

"Your words are irrelevant," Lumic said.

"Ha, talk too much, that's my problem," the Doctor said, grinning, and Clara rolled her eyes. "Lucky I've got you that cheap tariff, Rose. For all our long chats, on your phone."

"You will be deleted," Lumic practically growled.

"Yes, delete, control, hash, all those lovely buttons. Then my particular favorite, send! And, let's not forget how you seduced all those ordinary people in the first place. Making every bit of technology compatible with everything else," the Doctor said.

Rose's phone beeped and she tossed it at the Doctor saying, "It's for you."

"Like this," he said, jamming Rose's mobile in a slot. All around them, the Cybermen started screaming out in pain, clutching their heads. "I'm sorry," he said.

"What have you done?" Lumic screamed furiously.

"I gave them back their souls," the Doctor said. "They can see what you've done, Lumic. And it's killing them!"

He took off running, and Rose, Pete, and Clara followed after him.

"Delete! Delete!" Lumic was yelling after them.

Everything started shaking as the building caught fire and parts of it started to explode. The Doctor ran to a door that was labeled Emergency Exit, but shut the door when he saw the Cybermen behind it.

"How do we get out?" Clara asked.

"There's no way out," the Doctor said.

"It's Mickey," Rose said, after answering her phone. "He says 'head for the roof'."

Clara ducked as part of the building exploded behind them as they ran to the roof. They went up a set of stairs and climbed up to the roof, which was on fire. They saw the Zeppelin, where Mickey and Jake were.

"Mickey, where'd you learn to fly that thing?!" Rose yelled into the phone. She rushed out onto the roof with the Doctor, Pete, and Clara following her.

A rope ladder fell from the Zeppelin for them to climb up.

"You've got to be kiddin'!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Rose, Clara, get on!" he said, helping Clara up after Rose had already climbed on. The Zeppelin started climbing upwards as soon as the four of them were on the ladder.

"We did it!" Rose shrieked above the noise to them. "We did it!"

Clara screamed and nearly lost her grip as the ladder suddenly jerked down. Looking down, she saw the Lumic Cyberman climbing the rope ladder after Pete.

"What do we do?" Clara yelled.

"Pete!" the Doctor yelled, holding out his sonic screwdriver. "Take this!" he said, dropping it. "Use it! Hold the button down! Press it against the rope! Just do it!"

The ladder jerked again as the extra weight fell to the ground after the ropes had snapped.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Lumic shouted as he fell to the ground.

"I don't like this!" Clara yelled a minute later as they kept trying to climb. She was climbing and trying to hold her dress, because unlike Rose, she wasn't wearing pantyhose.

When they got close enough to the ground where the TARDIS was parked, Pete, Rose, Clara, and the Doctor dropped off the ladder while Mickey landed the Zeppelin. The Doctor immediately unlocked the door and ran inside the TARDIS, while everyone else waited outside.

Rose and Pete went off and talked together and Clara sat down on the curb by the TARDIS, the adrenaline wore off.

"Rose! Clara," the Doctor said, coming out of the TARDIS, "I've only got five minutes of power...we've gotta go."

Clara walked over to them, as Pete walked away and Jake and Mickey came walking up.

"Here it is," Mickey said. "I found it. Not a crease."

"My suit! Good man!" the Doctor said. "Now then, Jake, we've got to run, but one thing. Mrs. Moore. Her real name was Angela Price. She's got a husband out there. And children. Find them and tell them how she died saving the world."

"Yeah, course I will," Jake said.

"Off we go, then," the Doctor said.

"Uh, thing is, I'm staying," Mickey said.

"You're doing what?" the Doctor asked.

"You can't," Rose said, tears filling her eyes.

"It sort of balances out 'cos this world lost its Ricky. But there's me. And there's work to be done with all those Cybermen still out there," Mickey said.

"But you can't stay," Rose said.

"Rose, my gran's here," Mickey said. "She's still alive. My old gran, remember her? She needs me."

"What about me?" Rose asked. "What if I need you?"

"Yeah, but Rose, you don't," Mickey said. "It's just you and him and Clara, isn't it? We had something a long time ago, but not anymore."

"Well, we'll come back," Rose said. "We can travel anywhere. Come and see you, yeah?"

"We can't," the Doctor said. "I told you, travel between parallel worlds is impossible. We only got here by accident. We fell through a crack in time. When we leave, I've got to close it. We can't ever return."

"Doctor," Mickey said, holding out his hand.

"Take Rose's phone," the Doctor said, shaking his hand. "It's got the code. Get it out there. Stop those factories. And good luck. Mickey the Idiot."

He lightly slapped Mickey's cheek, smiling.

"Watch it," Mickey said, smiling.

"See ya, Mickey. It was fun," Clara said, hugging him and kissing his cheek before following the Doctor into the TARDIS.

"You know, I'll really miss him," Clara said to him.

"Yeah," the Doctor said, going to change into his suit.

"You should wear a tux all the time," Clara said, grinning. "You look good in it."

"Nah," he said. "Where's the fun in that?"

"Fun for me," she said, winking.

Before changing, though, he dematerialized the TARDIS from the parallel universe once Rose was on board and set a course to their universe.

Rose and Clara changed out of their serving outfits while they landed. Actually, the Doctor said there was a fifty percent chance of them getting back to their universe and not totally disappearing into the void altogether.

"You're alive!" Rose said to Jackie, as they stepped out of the TARDIS and into her flat. Rose and Clara both rushed to hug her. "Oh, mum, you're alive."

"Oh, I was the last time I looked," Jackie said. "What is it? What's happened, my sweethearts? What's wrong? Where did you go?"

"Far away," the Doctor said. "It was...far away."

Both Rose and Clara clutched at Jackie, as if she would disappear.

"Where's Mickey?" Jackie asked.

"He's gone home," the Doctor said.

They stayed a while, both Clara and Rose needing to see Jackie, before taking off again to who knew where.


	21. Idiot's Lantern

**The Idiot's Lantern**

"Really? Elvis?" Clara asked, excited.

"Oh, yeah," the Doctor said, grinning.

"I'm gonna go change!" she said, rushing off to the wardrobe room.

Ten minutes later, after the TARDIS had landed, Rose and Clara came back into the control room dressed in the 1950's era. Learning from experience, Clara went with a flat pair of shoes, unlike Rose, who was wearing a pair of pink high heels. She straightened her trousers and her red blouse underneath her Elvis-style jacket, complete with sequins.

Both the girls stepped out of the TARDIS and looked around.

"I thought we'd be going for the Vegas era, you know—the white flares and the...chest hair," Rose growled that last part seductively, joking. Clara laughed.

The Doctor poked his head around the TARDIS door, his hair gelled back, teddy-boy style. Clara had to admit, though it looked really cool, she preferred his natural hair.

"You're kidding, aren't you?" he asked. "You both wanna see Elvis, you go in the late 50's! The time before burgers. When they called him 'the Pelvis' and he still had a waist."

Rose and Clara both laughed.

"What's more, you see him in style!" the Doctor said from inside the TARDIS.

Rose and Clara both looked at the TARDIS as they heard the sound of an engine. A second later, the Doctor rode out of the TARDIS on a 50's style moped. Rose and Clara both laughed in amusement and delight as he stopped right by them, wearing big sunglasses and a white helmet.

"You goin' my way, dolls?" he asked in an Elvis-style impersonation.

"Is there any other way to go, daddy-o?" Rose asked, putting on a pair of pink sunglasses. "Straight from the fridge, man!"

"Hey, you speak the lingo!" the Doctor said, delighted. Clara grinned and got on the moped behind him, and then Rose got on after the Doctor had handed them both pink helmets like his.

"Yeah, well...me, mum, Clara, Cliff Richard movies every Bank Holiday Monday," Rose said.

"I always loved that," Clara said, smiling.

"Ah, Cliff! I knew your mother'd be a Cliff fan," the Doctor said, and then they took off down the street.

"Where we off to?" Rose yelled over the noise of the engine.

"Ed Sullivan TV Studios, Elvis did 'Hound Dog' on one of the shows, there were loads of complaints. Bit of luck, we'll just catch it," the Doctor said.

"And that'll be TV studios in, what—New York?" Rose asked.

"That's the one!" the Doctor said happily.

"I don't think so," Clara said, as a red London bus drove past the end of the street. The Doctor stopped the moped and the three of them looked around at all the Union flags and the red post box. The Doctor looked bemused, Clara smirked, and Rose laughed.

"Digging that New York vibe!" Rose said.

"Well...this COULD still be New York, I mean, this looks very New York to me...sort of...Londony New York, mind..." the Doctor said.

"Londony New York?" Clara questioned.

"What are all the flags for?" Rose asked, as the Union flags were on every rooftop in sight.

"Dunno, must be something going on," Clara said, as they continued down the street.

There was a van down the street with a man by it. The Doctor, Rose, and Clara walked by just in time to hear him say, "There you go, sir, all wired up for the great occasion."

"The great occasion? What d'you mean?" the Doctor asked Magpie, the man that was selling the TV.

"Where've you three been living, out in the Colonies? Coronation, of course," Magpie said.

"What Coronation's that, then?" the Doctor asked.

"What d'you mean? THE Coronation," Magpie said, bemused.

The Doctor still looked lost and blank and turned to Rose and Clara for help.

"The Queen's," Rose said, like it's obvious. "Queen Elizabeth!"

"It is the 1950's, Doctor. Surely you should know this," Clara said, hands on her hips.

"Oh! Oh, is this 1953?!" the Doctor asked, everything clicking into place for him.

"Last time I looked," Magpie said, looking at the Doctor like he was crazy. "Time for a lovely bit of pomp and circumstance, what we do best."

"Look at all the TV aerials...looks like everyone's got one. That's weird, my nan said tellies were so rare they all had to pile into one house," Rose said, looking at all the chimneys in the area.

"Not round here, love," Magpie said. "Magpie's Marvelous Tellies, only five quid a box."

"Five quid?!" Clara asked, surprised at the low price.

The Doctor, who had wondered down the street a short way suddenly cut in, smiling.

"Oh, but this is a _brilliant_ year! Classic! Technicolor, Everest climbed, everything off the radiation-" he said, then used a typically BBC English accent. "The Nation throwing off the shadows of war and looking forward to a happier, brighter future!"

Rose and Clara both laughed. Suddenly, they heard a woman shouting.

"Someone help me, please! Ted!" she screamed.

In the middle of the street, a man with a blanket over his head was being pushed into a black police car by two suited men. The Doctor, Rose, and Clara rushed over to help.

"Leave him alone, it's my husband!" the woman cried.

"What's going on?" the Doctor asked.

The man was pushed into the back seat of the car as a boy came running out of the house.

"Oi, what are you doing?!" the boy asked.

One of the suited men, who was D.I. Bishop, addressed the Doctor.

"Police business, now get out of the way, sir!" he said.

"Who did they take, do you know him?" Rose asked the boy, whose name was Tommy.

"Must be Mr. Gallagher..." Tommy said.

The car drove off, leaving Mrs. Gallagher behind in the street. A woman named Rita came running out of the house behind Tommy.

"It's happening all over the place," Tommy continued. "They're turning into monsters..."

"Tommy! Not one word!" a man shouted at Tommy, coming out of the same house. Clara took him to be Tommy's father. She looked at the man.

"Get inside now!" he shouted at Tommy.

"Sorry, I'd better do as he says..." Tommy said to Rose, Clara and the Doctor.

Clara wanted to help Mrs. Gallagher, who was still sobbing, but the Doctor ran back to the moped and started it.

"All aboard!" he yelled. Clara had no choice but to climb on along with Rose. They followed after the black car. As soon as they came around a corner, though, the car was gone.

"Lost 'em! How'd they get away from us?" the Doctor asked, bemused.

"Surprised they didn't turn back and arrest you for reckless driving, have you actually _passed_ your test?!" Rose exclaimed.

"I don't think he did," Clara said, wide eyed and clinging to the Doctor's back.

"Men in black?" the Doctor asked, not listening. "Vanishing police cars? This is Churchill's England, not Stalin's Russia!"

"Monsters, that boy said..." Rose said thoughtfully. The Doctor and Clara turned to her. "Maybe we should go and ask the neighbors."

"That's what I like about you. The domestic approach," the Doctor said sweetly.

"Thank you..." Rose said, grinning. The Doctor started the moped up again. "Hold on, was that an insult?"

Clara let out a laugh as they were off again.

They went back to the street where the man was taken.

"I think we should start with that boy's house," Clara said. "He knew something about this."

"We should be friendly," the Doctor said, as he strode up to the house. The Doctor, Rose, and Clara all wore identical, very cheesy grins as the man that was yelling in the street opened the door.

"Hiiiiii!" they all said at the same time.

The man, Eddie, looked at them all suspiciously.

"Who are you, then?" he asked them.

"Let's see then, judging by the look of you—family man, nice house, decent wage, fought in the war—therefore, I represent Queen and country!" the Doctor said, holding up his psychic paper. If she could've, Clara would have smacked her palm to her face. "Just doing a little check of Her Majesty's forthcoming subjects for the great day. Don't mind if I come in? Nah, didn't think you did, thank you!"

He barged in the house past Eddie, before the man could protest, and Rose and Clara followed.

"Not bad, very nice! Very well kept! I'd like to congratulate you, Mrs...?" the Doctor said, looking around the living room.

"Connolly," Rita said timidly.

"Now then, Rita, I can handle this. This gentleman's a proper representative!" Eddie said.

The Doctor winked at Rita, who looked absolutely terrified. Clara sat on the sofa only after Rose sat herself on the arm of a chair.

"Don't mind the wife, she rattles on a bit," Eddie said.

"Well, maybe she should rattle on a bit more," the Doctor said. Eddie and Tommy looked a bit shocked, but the Doctor continued on. "I'm not convinced you're doing your patriotic duty."

He looked around the room at the flags.

"Nice flags. Why are they not flying?" he asked.

"There we are, Rita. I told you—get them up, Queen and country!" Eddie said after a nervous pause.

The Doctor looked at Eddie and moved over to him.

"I'm sorry," Rita said.

"Get it done!" Eddie yelled. "Do it now."

"Hold on a minute-" the Doctor started.

"Like the gentleman says-" Eddie said.

"Hold on a minute," the Doctor interrupted. "You've got hands, Mr. Connolly. Two big hands! Why is that your wife's job?"

"It's housework, innit?" Eddie asked.

"And that's a woman's job?" the Doctor asked.

"Course it is!" Eddie exclaimed.

"Mr. Connolly, what gender is the Queen?" the Doctor asked.

"She's a female," Eddie said, growing more defensive.

"And are you suggesting the Queen does the housework?" the Doctor asked.

Clara hid the smirk that popped up on her face. A smile was also growing on Tommy's face.

"No! Not at all!" Eddie said. The Doctor handed Eddie a string of flags, giving him a stare.

"Then get busy," the Doctor said.

"Right, yes sir," Eddie said, going about hanging up the flags, feigning enthusiasm. "You'll be proud of us, sir! We'll have Union Jack left, right and center!"

Rose suddenly got up, her hands on her hips.

"'Scuse me, Mr. Connolly, hang on a minute! Union Jacks?" she said.

"Yes, that's right, isn't it?" Eddie asked.

"That's the Union Flag. It's the Union Jack only when it's flown at sea," Rose said.

Clara smiled as she remember the sailor that Jackie had dated for a while.

"Oh...oh. I'm sorry. I do apologize!" Eddie said.

Rose smiled widely and said, "Well, don't get it wrong again, there's a good man. Now get to it!"

Eddie hastily got back to work, and Rose smiled at the Doctor and Clara. They sat on either side of Clara on the sofa, grinning.

"Right then! Nice and comfy, at Her Majesty's leisure!" the Doctor said. He turned to Rose and whispered, "Union Flag?"

"Mum went out with a sailor," Rose said.

"Oohohohoo! I bet she did!" the Doctor said. He raised his voice again. "Anyway, I'm the Doctor and this is Rose and Clara, and you are?"

He looked at Tommy, who seemed surprised.

"Tommy," he said. The Doctor, Clara, and Rose all scooted aside, making room for Tommy on the couch.

"Well, sit yourself down, Tommy," the Doctor said. He motioned to a chair for Rita to sit down also. They all looked at the tellie in the room.

"Have a look at this," the Doctor said. "I love tellie, don't you?"

"Yeah, I think it's brilliant," Tommy said.

"Good man!" the Doctor said.

After a few minutes of watching the program that was on about fossils, the Doctor said, "Keep working, Mr. C!"

He turned to Rita, lowering his voice and said, "Now, why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

"Did you say you were a doctor?" Rita asked, seeing reluctant.

"Yes, I am," the Doctor said.

"Can you help her? Oh, please, can you help her, Doctor?" Rita asked.

"Now then, Rita, I don't think the gentleman needs to know..." Eddie said, overhearing that last bit.

"No, the gentleman does!" the Doctor cut him off.

Rita began to cry and Rose moved forward in her seat to say gently, "Tell us what's wrong and we can help."

Rita cried more loudly and shook her head helplessly. Rose went over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, come on, come on..." Rose said softly.

"Hold on a minute! Queen and country's on thing, but this is my house!" Eddie yelled. He looked at the flags in his hands, then threw them to the ground.

"That's not very patriotic!" Clara said loudly.

"What the—what the hell am I doing? Now you listen here, Doctor! You may have fancy qualifications, but what goes on under my roof is my business!"

"All the people are being bundled into-" the Doctor started.

Clara flinched as Eddie interrupted and shouted, "I am talking!"

The Doctor immediately stood up and got in Eddie's face and shouted even louder, "And I'm not listening! Now you, Mr. Connolly, are staring into a deep, dark PIT of trouble if you don't let me help."

Clara felt just as shaken as Eddie looked and even Tommy and Rita looked scared.

"So, I'm ordering you, SIR, to tell me what's going on!" the Doctor said.

Eddie looked like he was going to say something, but stopped at the sound of banging coming from upstairs. Clara looked up at the ceiling in curiosity.

"She won't stop," Eddie said, with a bit of fear in his voice. The banging continued, even louder. "She never stops."

"We started hearing stories, all round the place," Tommy said in a shaky voice. "People who've...changed. Families keeping it secret 'cause they were scared. The police started finding out. We don't know how, no one does. They just...turn up, come to the door and take 'em. Any time of the day or night."

"Show me," the Doctor said.

Tommy led the Doctor, Rose, and Clara up the stairs with Mr. and Mrs. Connolly following after them.

Tommy peeked around the door and said, "Gran? It's Tommy."

He opened the door wider for everyone to see into the dark room.

"'S all right, Gran. I've brought help," Tommy said.

His Gran was standing by the window, only a silhouette to them. She slowly moved towards them and Tommy stepped into the room a bit more. He turned on the light and Clara took a step back in surprise and horror. The woman had no face whatsoever. All of her facial features—eyes, nose, mouth—were completely gone.

"Oh, my gosh," Clara whispered.

"Her face is completely gone," the Doctor said, sounding slightly fascinated. He was closer to the woman, peering at her non-existent face. He scanned her with his sonic screwdriver, but Rose and Clara stayed back, still looking wary and uneasy.

"Scarcely an electrical impulse left," the Doctor said. "Almost complete neural shutdown, she's ticking over, like her brain has been...wiped clean."

He put his screwdriver away, but still looked at her face.

"What're we gonna do, Doctor? We can't even feed her!" Tommy exclaimed.

They were interrupted by a crash from downstairs.

"We've got company..." Rose said.

"It's them, they've come for her!" Rita said.

Clara narrowed her eyes at the sight of Eddie looking pleased.

"What was she doing before this happened? Where was she?" the Doctor asked hurriedly.

Rita hesitated and the Doctor said, "Tell me, quickly, think!"

"I can't think! She doesn't leave the house! She was just—" Tommy said, but was cut off as a big man and some officers came into the room.

The Doctor tried to buy them some time by saying, "Hold on a minute! There are three important, brilliant, and complicated reasons why you should listen to me. One-"

Clara let out a shriek as the large man punched the Doctor right in the face, knocking him unconscious.

"Doctor!" Rose yelled.

"Oh, no you don't!" Clara shouted, jumping on the man's back. She locked one arm around his neck and used her other fist to start hitting him over the head, not that it did her any good. The man backed into the nearest wall, knocking the wind out of her and bruising some ribs. Dazed, she released the man and slumped to the ground.

It gave the men time to throw a blanket over Tommy's gran's head and ushered her out of the room. Still slightly dazed, Clara put her arm around her waist, holding her ribs and used her free hand to push herself up off the ground.

"Leave her alone!" Rita shouted as Rose slapped the Doctor's cheeks to wake him up.

Clara helped Rose to wake up the Doctor by also slapping him and yelling, "Doctor, wake up!"

"Mum!" Rita shouted.

"Doctor! Doctor!" Rose said.

"Don't hurt her!" Rita shouted, as the men took her down to their car.

The Doctor suddenly sat up, as if nothing had happened.

"Ah, hell of a right hook! Have to watch out for that!" he said, before jumping up and rushing downstairs.

Taking deep, painful breaths, Clara went down the stairs after him. Her ribs were killing her, but helping find Tommy's gran was more important.

"Don't fight it, back inside!" Eddie was shouting. Clara kicked his shin as she shoved past him, sure he was the one that called the police, then followed the Doctor to the moped.

"Rose, come on!" the Doctor shouted.

"Get back inside!" Eddie said, restraining his wife and son.

Clara put on her helmet, as the Doctor called for Rose again.

"Rose, we're gonna lose them again!" he said, fastening his own helmet. Rose still didn't come, so the Doctor took off with Clara clinging to his back, following after the car.

The Doctor and Clara followed to the same wooden warehouse where the car had disappeared earlier. The car had disappeared again and there were two men sweeping the street like there had been earlier. The Doctor stopped the moped and looked around.

"It's the same men," Clara said. "I think it's a coverup."

"Oh, very good! Very good!" the Doctor said to both Clara and the men.

Knowing that they weren't going to get in past the two men, so the Doctor and Clara walked around the building, looking for another way in.

"Over there, Doctor," Clara said, spotting a small gate at the side of the building. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and broke open the gate.

"Hang on," the Doctor said, holding Clara back. She clenched her teeth as her ribs flared up in pain from his arm. There were two policemen locking up some gates. The Doctor and Clara walked over as soon as they had gone, seeing that the cage-like gates contained a bunch of people.

He pulled out his sonic screwdriver again and opened the gates.

"They have no faces, Doctor," Clara whispered, looking at the people. The people started shuffling towards them and a bright light suddenly turns on. The two police officers that were locking up the gates were standing in front of the car's headlights.

"Stay where you are!" D. I. Bishop said.

Clara hid her gasp of pain as her arms were forced behind her back and she and the Doctor were herded into an office.

"Start from the beginning, tell me everything you know," D.I. Bishop said, after they had been seated at a table. He stood over the Doctor and Clara and hovered.

"Well...for starters...I know you can't wrap your hand around your elbow and make your fingers meet," the Doctor said seriously. Clara snorted.

"Don't get clever with me, or I might just put your little girlfriend here with the faceless," D.I. Bishop said, pointing at the Doctor. "You were both there today at Florizel Street, and now breaking into this establishment. Now, you're connected with this. Make no mistake."

"Well, the thing is, Detective Inspector Bishop-" the Doctor said.

"How do you know my name?" D.I. Bishop asked.

"It's...written inside your collar," the Doctor said apologetically. The detective looked slightly embarrassed and adjusted his collar.

"Bless your mum," the Doctor said. "But, I can't help thinking, Detective Inspector, you're not exactly doing much detective inspecting. Are you?"

"I'm doing everything in my power," D.I. Bishop said.

"All you're doing is grabbing those faceless people and hiding them as fast as you can. Don't tell me—orders from above, hmm? Coronation Day...the eyes of the world are on London Town...so any sort of problem just gets swept out of sight," the Doctor said.

Clara sat back in her chair, relaxing her ribs, while the Doctor was spinning his chair from side to side.

"The nation has an image to maintain," Bishop said.

"Doesn't it drive you mad? Doing nothing? Don't you wanna get our there and investigate?" the Doctor asked.

"Course I do. But..." Bishop said.

He sat down on the opposite side of the table and said, "With all the crowds expected, we haven't go the man-power. Even if we did...this is...beyond anything we've ever seen. I just don't know anymore. Twenty years on the force...I don't even know where to start. We haven't the faintest clue what's going on."

"Well...that could change," the Doctor said.

"How?" Bishop asked.

"Let us help," Clara said.

The Doctor stood up and looked down at Bishop, as if they had reversed roles. "Start from the beginning. Tell me everything you know," he said.

A few minutes later, Bishop had told them everything he knew, not that it was much, and they were all standing over a large map.

"We started finding them about a month ago. Persons left sans visage," Bishop said. "Heads just...blank."

"Is there any sort of pattern?" the Doctor asked, examining a file on a nearby desk.

"Yes, spreading out from North London. All over the city. Men, women, kids...grannies...the only REAL lead is there's been quite a large number in-"

"Florizel Street," the Doctor interrupted.

"I wonder why?" Clara said.

There was a knock at the door and the three of them looked up.

"Found another one, sir," a policeman said.

An officer ushered in a blank-covered figure. Clara couldn't see the face, but there was no mistaking the bright pink skirt with the matching high heels.

"Rose," Clara whispered.

"Oh, er—good man, Crabtree. Here we are, Doctor..." Bishop said, but the Doctor wasn't listening. He was walking towards Rose.

"Take a good look. See what you can deduce," Bishop said.

The policeman took the blanket off of Rose's head and Clara gasped in horror. Just like everyone else, her cousin didn't have a face.

"Rose," the Doctor said.

"Do you know her?" Bishop asked.

"Know her? She..." the Doctor trailed off.

"She's my cousin," Clara whispered.

"They found her in the street, apparently, over at Master Square, abandoned," the officer said to Bishop.

"That's unusual, that's the first one out in the open. Heaven help us if something happens in public tomorrow for the big day, we'll have Torchwood on our back, make no mistake," Bishop said.

"Shut up," Clara said, clenching her eyes and fists closed. "That's my cousin you're talking about."

"They did what?" the Doctor asked coldly.

"I'm sorry?" Bishop asked.

"They left her where?" the Doctor asked. Clara could tell he was forcing himself to be calm as she opened her eyes.

"Just...in the street," Bishop said.

"In the street. They left her in the street. They took her face and just chucked her out and left her in the street. And as a result, that makes things...simple. Very, very simple. Do you know why?" the Doctor said.

"No..." Bishop said, obviously confused.

"Because NOW, Detective Inspector Bishop," the Doctor shouted, furious, "there is no power on this Earth that can stop me. Come on!"

Without hesitating, he headed for the door. Forcing her pain away, Clara went after him and out of the gates and into the sunlight.

"The big day dawns..." Bishop said.

The Doctor nor Clara said anything, but moved on. They went back to the Connolly's house and rang the doorbell. Tommy answered the door and Clara gave him a small smile.

"Tommy, talk to me," the Doctor said. Tommy stepped out of the house, closing the door behind him.

"I need to know exactly what happened inside your house," the Doctor continued. Behind Tommy, Eddie opened the door roughly and rounded on Tommy.

"What the blazes do you think you're doing?" Eddie asked Tommy.

"I wanna help, dad," Tommy said.

"Mr. Connolly," the Doctor said warningly.

"Shut your face, you. Whoever you are," Eddie said. "We can handle this ourselves. Listen you, little twerp. You're hardly out of the bloomin' cradle, so I don't expect you to understand. But I've got a position to maintain. People round here _respect_ me. It MATTERS what people THINK."

"Is that why you did it, dad?" Tommy asked.

"What d'you mean? Did what?" Eddie asked, taken aback.

"You ratted on Gran. How else would the police know where to look? Unless some coward told them..." Tommy said.

"How DARE you? You think I fought a war just so a mouthy little scum like you could call me a coward?" Eddie asked in rage.

"You don't get it, do you? You fought AGAINST fascism, remember? People telling you how to live—who you could be friends with—who you could fall in love with—who could live and who had to die. Don't you get it? You were fighting so that little twerps like me could DO what we want. SAY what we want. Now you've become just like them. You've been informing on everyone, haven't you? Even Gran. All to protect your precious reputation," Tommy said.

"Eddie...is that true?" Rita asked, coming outside after overhearing everthing.

"I did it for US, Rita! She was FILTHY. A filthy, disgusting THING," Eddie said.

"She's my mother," Rita said quietly, shocked. "All the others—you informed on all the people in our street—our friends."

"I had to," Eddie said, flailing slightly. "I did the right thing!"

"The right thing for us...or for you, Eddie?" Rita asked. She then turned to Tommy and said, "You go, Tommy. "You go with the Doctor and do some good. Get away from this house. It's poison. We had a ruddy monster under this roof, all right, but it wasn't my mother!"

She went back inside and slammed the door, close to tears.

"Tommy?" the Doctor asked. Tommy turned from his father and left down the street with the Doctor, Bishop, and Clara. The streets were crowded and busy as people were preparing for a large street party.

"Tommy, tell me about that night. The night she changed," the Doctor said.

"She was just watching the tellie," Tommy said.

"Rose said it," the Doctor said with realization. "She guessed it straight away, of COURSE she did. All these aerials in one little street—how come?"

"Bloke up the road, Mr. Magpie, he's selling them cheap," Tommy said.

"The five quid guy," Clara said with realization.

The Doctor was off, running down the road, before Clara had even said anything. Clara sighed, holding her ribs, before running off after the Doctor.

"Come on!" the Doctor yelled behind his back.

They got to Magpie's shop, where the Doctor smashed the glass in the front door to open it.

"Here, you can't do that-" Bishop protested. The Doctor ignored him and was already inside, striding up to the counter.

"Shop?" the Doctor yelled. He pressed the bell on the counter several time, repeatedly. "If you're here, come out and talk to me! Magpie?!" the Doctor yelled to the back of the shop.

"Maybe he's out," Tommy said.

"Looks like it..." the Doctor said, then started rifling through the drawers behind the counter.

"Oh, hello...this isn't right," he said, pulling out a device that looked like a cross between a portable radio and a TV. "This is very much not right."

He licked the device and Clara wrinkled her nose.

"That's gross," she said.

"Tastes like iron. Bakelite," the Doctor said, placing the device down on the counter. "Put together with human hands, yes, but the design itself..." he scanned it with his sonic screwdriver. "Oh, beautiful work. That is so simple."

"That's incredible," Bishop said. "It's like a television, but portable. A portable television!"

The Doctor raised his sonic screwdriver and scanned the room, turning the pictures on the television to static.

"It's not the only power source in this room..." the Doctor said.

The static on the screens gradually faded away and on each television screen in the shop was a different face. All the people's faces on the screens looked terrified, pleading for help.

"Gran?" Tommy said, looking horrified at a picture of his gran's face.

Clara, however, was locked on another screen. Eyes wide, she got on her knees and touched the screen that had Rose's face on it. Rose seemed to be screaming the Doctor's name and Clara's. The Doctor knelt beside Clara and looked at the screen with sadness.

"We're on our way," the Doctor said, taking Clara's hand in his.

"What do you think you're doing?" Magpie asked, entering from the back of the shop.

"I want my friend restored and I think that's beyond a little backstreet electrician so tell me, who's really in charge here?" the Doctor thundered in anger, rounding on Magpie. Magpie flinched.

"Yoohoo! I think that must be me," a woman's voice said. She appeared on one of the screens. The Doctor and Clara turned to look at her, both surprised.

"Ooh, this one's smart as paint," the woman continued. The Doctor slowly approached the screen.

"Is she talking to us?" Bishop asked, confused.

"Sorry gentlemen, I'm...I'm afraid you've brought this on yourselves," Magpie said. "May I introduce you to my new...friend."

"Jolly nice to meet you," the woman said.

"Oh, my gosh, it's her, that woman off the tellie," Bishop said.

"No, it's just using her image," the Doctor said.

"What...what are you?" Tommy asked.

"I'd like to know the same thing," Clara said, ready to charge forward for Rose, but the Doctor held her back. She put her hands on her ribs, gritting her teeth.

"I'm the Wire, and I will gobble you up, pretty boy," the woman said. "Every last morsel. And when I have feasted, I shall regain the corporeal body, which my fellow-kind denied me."

The screen gradually colorized and Bishop exclaimed, "Good Lord—color television!"

"So your own people tried to stop you?" the Doctor asked.

"They executed me. But I escaped—in this form—and fled across the stars," the Wire said.

"And now you're trapped in the television," the Doctor said.

The smirk faded off the Wire's face and when it did, so did the color from the television.

"Not for much longer," the Wire said.

"Is this what got my gran?" Tommy asked.

"Yes, Tommy," the Doctor said.

"And Rose," Clara added, still clenching her teeth.

"It feeds off the electrical activity of the brain, but it gorges itself like a great overfed pig," the Doctor said. "Taking people's faces, their essences, it stuffs itself."

"And you let her do it, Magpie," Bishop said.

"I had to!" Magpie exclaimed. "She allowed me my face! She's promised to release me at the time of manifestation."

"What does that mean?" Tommy asked.

"The appointed time—my crowning glory," the Wire said, hinting.

"Crowning glory?" Clara said, piecing it together.

"Doctor—the coronation!" Bishop exclaimed.

"For the first time in history, millions gathered around a television set. But you're not strong enough yet, are you? You can't do it all from here. That's why you need this!" the Doctor said, holding up the portable television device he had found. "You need something more powerful! This will turn a big transmitter into a big receiver."

"What thing you are!" the Wire said. "But why fret about it? Why not just relax? Kick off your shoes and enjoy the coronation. Believe me—you'll be glued to the screen."

Red lines of sparking light suddenly reached out from the television to the Doctor's, Clara's, Tommy's, and Bishop's faces.

"Doctor!" Tommy, Bishop, and Clara all cried out.

"Hungry! Hungry! The Wire is hungry! Ah! This one is tasty. Oh! I'll have lashings of him! Delicious! Ah!" the Wire said. "Armed! He's armed and clever! Withdraw! Withdraw!"

Suddenly, everything blacked out for Clara. The next thing she remembered, she was trapped in a square room. Panicking, she started banging on a wall, screaming for the Doctor, much like Rose had on the television screen.

It could have been minutes or hours, but the next thing she knew, she was in the street where Tommy's house was. She spotted the Doctor, who had already found Rose.

"Doctor! Rose!" she cried, running towards them. She first embraced Rose, then the Doctor, then winced as he squeezed too much. She hid it with a smile as he pulled away, then kissed her. Rose wiggled her eyebrows at Clara after they pulled away from each other.

The three of them walked down the street, the Doctor and Clara holding hands, as people were everywhere, eating and playing music.

"We could do down the mall, join in with the crowd," Rose suggested.

"Nah, that's just pomp and circumstance," the Doctor said, eating victoria sponge with his free hand. "This is history right here."

"The domestic approach," Rose said.

"Exactly," the Doctor said.

Clara laughed.

"Will it...that thing...is it trapped for good—on video?" Rose asked.

"Hope so," the Doctor said. He had explained to Rose and Clara what he had done to the Wire. "Just to be on the safe side though, I'll use my unrivaled knowledge of trans temporal extirpation methods to neutralize the residual electronic pattern."

"You what?" Rose asked. Clara's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I'm going to tape over it," the Doctor said.

"Just leave it to me, I'm always doing that," Rose said, laughing.

"She really is," Clara said, fake frowning. "She taped over my tape of the X Factor."

"I said sorry," Rose said, smiling.

They ran into Tommy, then.

"Tell you what, Tommy—you can have the scooter," the Doctor said. "Little present. Best...um...keep it in the garage for a few years, though, eh?"

"Good riddance," Tommy said. Clara looked behind her to see Eddie leaving with a suitcase.

"Is that it then, Tommy? New monarch, new age, new world—no room for a man like Eddie Connolly," the Doctor said.

"That's right," Tommy said. "He deserves it."

"Tommy, do after him," Rose said, nudging Tommy's shoulder.

"What for?" Tommy asked.

"He's your dad," Rose said.

"He's an idiot," Tommy said.

"Course he is," Rose said. "Like I said, he's your dad. But you're clever. Clever enough to save the world, so don't stop there. Go on!"

Clara nodded and smiled at him, trying to encourage him. Tommy was convinced after another nudge from Rose and took off after his dad. Clara smiled as she saw Tommy take his dad's suitcase and walk with him down the street. The Doctor nudged Clara and handed her a glass of orange juice after doing the same for Rose. The three of them clinked their glasses together, smiling.


	22. Impossible Planet

**The Impossible Planet**

Clara fell to the floor as the TARDIS materialized finally. The poor TARDIS was having a hard time as she groaned and wheezed, as if it was difficult to land. After picking herself up off the floor, Clara followed the Doctor and Rose out the doors.

"I dunno what's wrong with her, she's sort of...queasy," the Doctor said, looking up at the TARDIS. "Indigestion, like she didn't wanna land."

"Oh, if you think there's gonna be trouble, we could always get back inside and go somewhere else..." Rose said seriously. The three of them burst out laughing at the notion.

"I think...we've landed inside a cupboard!" the Doctor said, looking around. "Here we go!"

He pushed the door open and they entered another room.

"Open Door 15," a computer stated.

"Some sort of base...moon base, sea base, space base...they build these things out of kits," the Doctor said.

"Glad we're indoors—sounds like a storm out there..." Rose said, listening.

"Open Door 16," the computer stated as the Doctor opened another door. Rose and Clara followed him through the door into a corridor.

"Human design—you've got a thing about kits. This place was put together like a flat-pack wardrobe, only bigger. And easier," the Doctor said and they went through another door.

"Open Door 17," the computer voice said.

The Doctor strode into the middle of the room and said, "Oh, it's a sanctuary base!"

"Close Door 17," the computer said as Rose and Clara closed the door.

"Deep Space exploration," the Doctor said. "We've gone _way_ out. And listen to that, underneath...someone's drilling."

Clara listened closely to hear the sound of drills.

"Welcome to hell," Rose said.

"Oh, it's not THAT bad!" the Doctor said.

"No, over there!" Rose said, laughing and pointing at a wall.

Clara looked over to see the words, 'Welcome to Hell,' written on the wall with strange symbols underneath of it.

"Hold on...what does that say?" the Doctor said, walking over to the wall.

"Wait, you don't know?" Clara asked.

"No," the Doctor said. "It's weird. It won't translate."

"But I thought the TARDIS translated everything, writing as well. We should see English," Rose said.

"Exactly," the Doctor said. "If that's not working, then it means...this writing is old. Very old. Impossibly old."

The Doctor went over to another door and said, "We should find out who's in charge. We've gone beyond the reach of the TARDIS' knowledge. Not a good move. And if someone's lucky enough-"

He broke off as the computer said, "Open door 19."

The Doctor, Rose, and Clara gasped in shock and stumbled back a few steps as there is a strange alien on the other side, blinking at them.

"Right! Hello! Sorry! Uh...I was just saying, uh...nice base!" the Doctor said, trying to regain his composure.

"We must feed," the aliens all said together.

"You're gonna what?" the Doctor asked in confusion.

"We must feed," they all said again.

"Yeah, I think they mean us," Rose said.

"They're seriously creepy," Clara said, as the tentacley aliens advanced on them.

"We must feed," the aliens said.

The Doctor, Rose, and Clara tried to make for the other door, but it opened and more aliens came through it.

"We must feed. We must feed. We must feed," the aliens said.

A third door opened and even more aliens slowly walked through it. The Doctor, Rose, and Clara were cornered then.

"We must feed. We must feed. We must feed," the alien said.

Clara grabbed a metal pipe that was nearby, as Rose grabbed a chair and the Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver.

"We must feed. We must feed," the aliens said.

The three of them were finally backed up against a wall, all armed in one fashion or another.

The aliens just kept chanting the same thing over and over again.

One alien said, "We must feed." He gave the white Orb he was holding a shake and tapped it. "You. If you are hungry."

"Sorry?" the Doctor asked, confused, lowering his sonic screwdriver.

"We apologize. Electromagnetics have interfered with our speech systems," the alien said.

Rose put down her chair and Clara the pipe.

"Would you like some refreshment?" the alien asked.

"Uhm..." the Doctor said, confused.

"Open door 18," the computer said. One of the doors in the room opened and a man came through, followed by two other men holding guns.

"What the hell...? How did...?" the first man, named Jefferson, asked.

He walked up to the Doctor, Clara, and Rose, staring at them. He took out a communications device and said into it, "Captain...you're not going to believe this. We've got PEOPLE. Out of nowhere. I mean, real people. I mean three...living...people. Just standing here, right in front of me."

Clara furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Don't be stupid, that's impossible," a voice said back on the communications device.

"I suggest telling THEM that," Jefferson said, still staring at them.

"But you're a sort of space base, you must have visitors now and then. It can't be that impossible," Rose said.

"You're telling me you don't know where you are?" Jefferson asked.

"No idea," the Doctor said. "More fun that way."

"So says him," Clara said and the Doctor grinned.

"Stand by, everyone. Buckle down. We have incoming. And it's a big one. Quake Point 5 on its way," a voice said over a speaker.

The base started to shake and tremble, but it was nothing Clara wasn't really used to, being in the TARDIS all the time.

The man, Jefferson, rushed to a door and opened it.

"Through here! Now. Quickly, come on!" Jefferson said.

"Sirens started to sound and the Doctor, Rose, and Clara ran to follow him through the door with the two other men.

"Now!" Jefferson shouted.

They came into another corridor which was also shaking and had smoke rising from the floor.

"Move it! Come on! Come on, come on!" Jefferson shouted over the noise.

Besides Clara, Rose screamed as she nearly fell over and sparks flew everywhere.

"Move it, come on! Quickly! Move it!" Jefferson shouted.

They hurried down the corridor to find themselves in a control room. There were people around everywhere, working, but when they walked it, everyone stopped and their mouths dropped open. The Doctor beamed at everyone.

"Oh, my GOSH. You meant it!" a man named Zach said.

"People! Look at that! Real people!" another person named Scooti said.

"That's us," the Doctor said. "Hooray!"

Rose smiled at them and said, "Yeah, definitely real. My name's Rose...Rose Tyler. This is my cousin, Clara Tyler, and—and this is the Doctor."

"Come on...the oxygen must be offline. We're hallucinating. They can't be...no. They're real!" a man named Danny said.

"Come ON, we're in the middle of an alert!" Zach said impatiently. "Danny, strap up, the quake's coming in! Impact in thirty seconds!"

"Sorry, you three, whoever you are. Just...hold on. Tight," Zach said to the Doctor, Rose, and Clara.

"Hold on to what?" Rose asked.

"Anything. I don't care. Just hold on. Ood, are we fixed?" Zach asked.

The Doctor, Rose, and Clara managed to find a railing to hold onto, just like they would in the TARDIS.

"Your kindness in this emergency is much appreciated," the Ood answered.

"What's this planet called, anyway?" the Doctor asked.

"Now, don't be stupid. It hasn't got a name. How could it have a name?" Ida asked.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows at her.

"You really don't know, do you?" Ida asked.

"And...IMPACT!" Zach said.

The entire base shook violently. Clara clung on tightly, but it was over quickly. The Doctor stood up and said, "Oh, well, that wasn't so bad-!"

He was suddenly thrown backwards as the base shook even more violently than before. Clara just clung to the railing and closed her eyes tightly, waiting for it to be over. Finally, the shaking stopped.

"Okay, that's it," Zach said.

Clara opened her eyes to see Jefferson rushing forward with a fire extinguisher.

"Everyone all right? Speak to me, Ida?" Zach asked.

"Yeah, yeah!" Ida said.

"Danny?"

"Fine," Danny said.

"Toby?"

"Yeah, fine," Toby said.

"Scooti?"

"No damage," Scooti said.

"Jefferson?"

"Check!" Jefferson said, still fighting fires.

"We're fine, thanks, fine, yeah, don't worry about us," the Doctor said.

"The surface caved in," Zach said. "I deflected it into storage 5 through 8. We've lost them completely. Toby, go and check the rocket link."

"That's not my department," Toby said.

"Just do as I say, yeah?" Zach said.

"Oxygen holding. Internal gravity 56.6. We should be okay," Ida said, as Toby left the room.

"Never mind the earthquake, that's...that's one hell of a storm. What is that, a hurricane?" Rose asked, looking around.

"You'd need an atmosphere for a hurricane," Scooti said. "There's no air out there. It's a complete vacuum."

"Then what's shaking the roof?" Rose asked.

"You're not joking," Ida said. "You really don't know? Well—introductions. FYI, as they said in the olden days. I'm Ida Scott, science officer." She indicated to Zach and said, "Zachary Cross Flane, acting Captain, sir...you've met Mr. Jefferson, he's head of security. Danny Bartock. Ethics committee."

"Not as boring as it sounds," Danny said.

"And that man who just left, that was Toby Zed, archeology, and this...is Scooti Manista. Trainee maintenance," Ida said. She went over to the controls. "And this...this is home."

"Brace yourselves," Zach said, as Ida pulled a lever. "The sight of it sends some people mad."

An overhead window above them opened up, letting in a red-colored light, and the sight of a black hole.

"What the-? Bloody hell," Clara said, staring at the impossible sight above them.

"That's a black hole," Rose said.

"But that's impossible," the Doctor said in disbelief.

"I did warn you," Zach said.

"We're standing under a black hole," the Doctor said.

"We're in orbit," Ida said.

"But we can't be..." the Doctor said.

"You can see for yourself. We're in orbit," Ida said.

"But we CAN'T be," the Doctor said, turning to look at Ida.

"This lump of rock is suspended in perpetual geostationary orbit around that black hole without falling in. Discuss," Ida said.

"And that's bad, yeah?" Rose asked.

"Must be," Clara said, still staring at the beautiful, but quite impossible sight.

"That doesn't cover it...a black hole's a dead star, it collapses in on itself, in and in and in until the matter's so dense and tight it starts to pull everything else in too," the Doctor said. "Nothing in the universe can escape it. Light, gravity...time...everything just gets pulled inside...and crushed."

"So, they can't be in orbit," Rose said. "We should be pulled right in."

"We should be dead," the Doctor said.

"And yet...here we are," Ida said. "Beyond the laws of physics. Welcome on board."

"But if there's no atmosphere out there, what's that?" Rose asked, pointing to clouds speeding towards the black hole.

"Stars breaking up...gas clouds...we have whole solar systems being ripped apart above our heads before falling into that thing," Ida said.

"So, a bit worse than a storm, then," Rose said.

"Just a bit," Ida said.

"Just a bit, yeah," Rose said.

"Well, that's comforting," Clara said, as the base shook again.

The Doctor went to the control panel to try and figure out how the black hole worked.

"The rocket link's fine," Toby said, coming back into the control room.

Zach tapped a button on the controls and a hologram of the black hole appeared before them. Clara smiled as the Doctor put on his brainy specs.

"That's the black hole officially designated K37 Gen 5," Zach said.

"In the scriptures of the Falltino, this planet is called 'Kroptor'. The bitter pill. And the black hole is supposed to be a mighty demon. It was tricked into devouring the planet, only to spit it out. Because it was poison," Ida said.

"The bitter pill," Rose said. "I like that."

"'Course you would," Clara teased. "It's right up your alley."

"Oh, shut it," Rose said.

"We are so far out," the Doctor said, staring at the hologram. "Lost in the drifts of the universe—how did you even GET here?!"

"We flew in," Zach said. "You see, this planet's generating a gravity field. We don't know how—we've no idea, but...it's kept in constant balance against the black hole. And the field extends out there. As a funnel. A distinct...gravity funnel, reaching out into clear space. That was our way in."

"You flew down that thing?" Rose asked, grinning. "Like a roller coaster."

"By rights, the ship should've been torn apart," Zach said. "We lost the Captain...which is what put me in charge."

"You're doing a good job," Ida said, trying to console him.

"Yeah. Well, needs must," Zach said.

"But if that gravity funnel closes, there's no way out," Danny said.

"We had fun speculating about that," Scooti said.

"Oh, yeah. That's the word," Danny said, whacking Scooti on the head with a scroll. "'Fun'."

"But that field would take phenomenal amounts of power!" the Doctor said, stumped. "I mean...not just big, but off the scale! Can I...?" he gestured to the controls.

"Sure. Help yourself," Ida said.

An Ood came up to Rose and Clara and handed them both cups.

"Your refreshment," the Ood said.

"Thank you," Clara said, smiling and taking the cup.

"Oh, yeah, thanks," Rose said, taking it. "Thank you. I'm sorry, what was your name?"

"We have no titles," the Ood said. "We are as one."

Clara went over to peer over the Doctor's shoulder to see him going crazy with the calculator that Ida had handed him.

"There we go," he said, finishing with the calculator. He gestured to it to Clara. "D'you see? To generate that gravity field, and the funnel, you'd need a power source with an inverted self-extrapolating reflex of six to the power of six every six seconds."

"Whoa," Clara said.

"That's a lot of sixes," Rose said.

"And it's impossible," the Doctor said.

"It took us two years to work that out!" Zach said.

"I'm very good," the Doctor said modestly.

"He is," Clara said.

"But...that's why we're here," Ida said. "This power source is ten miles below through solid rock. Point zero. We're drilling down to try and find it."

"It's giving off readings of over ninety stats on the Blazen Scale," Zach said.

"We could revolutionize modern science," Ida said enthusiastically.

"We could use it to fuel the Empire," Jefferson said.

"Why not the Rebels," Clara said, and Rose snorted.

"Or start a war," the Doctor said, giving the girls a look and taking his glasses off.

"It's buried beneath us," Toby said. "In the darkness, waiting.

"What's your job?" Rose asked Toby. "Chief...dramatist?"

The Doctor smirked and Clara snorted.

"Well, whatever it is down there is not a natural phenomena. And this, er, planet once supported life. Eons ago, before the human race had even learned to walk," Toby said.

"I saw that lettering written on the wall," the Doctor said. "Did YOU do that?"

"I copied it from fragments we found on Earth by the drilling, but I can't translate it," Toby said, nodding.

"No, neither can I," the Doctor said. "And that's saying something."

"There was some form of civilization," Toby said. "They buried something. Now it's reaching out. Calling us in."

"And you came," the Doctor said, grinning at them.

"Well, how could we not?" Ida asked and Zach switched off the hologram.

"So, when it comes right down to it, why did you come here?" the Doctor asked, still grinning at them. "Why did you do that? Why? I'll tell you why. Because it was THERE. Brilliant. Excuse me, ah, Zach, wasn't it?"

"That's me," Zach said.

"Just stand there, 'cos I'm gonna hug you. Is that all right?" the Doctor asked. Clara gave him an odd look.

"I s'pose so," Zach said.

The Doctor edged towards him and said, "Here we go. Coming in."

He threw his arms around Zach and clutched him, beaming.

"Ahh, human beings, you are amazing! Ha!" the Doctor said. Rose and Clara both chuckled.

"Thank you," the Doctor said.

"Not at all," Zach said, looking at the Doctor like he was strange.

"But apart from that, you're completely mad," the Doctor said. "You should pack your bags and get back in that ship and fly for your lives."

"You can talk! And how the hell did YOU get here?" Ida asked.

"Oh, I've got this um...this...it's hard to explain, it just sort of...appears," the Doctor said.

"We can show you, we parked down the corridor from um...oh, what's it called? Uh, habitation area..." Rose said.

"Three," the Doctor supplied.

"Three. Three," Rose said.

"Do you mean storage six?" Zach asked.

"Uh, it was a bit of a cupboard, yeah," the Doctor said cheerfully.

Clara saw the uncomfortable glance that Zach gave Ida and a bad feeling sat in her stomach.

"Storage six, but you said..." the Doctor said, before something dawned on him. "You said...you said storage five to eight."

"Oh, crap," Clara said, running after the Doctor, who had just taken off. Rose was right on her heels.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Rose shouted after the Doctor.

The Doctor didn't answer, but frantically opened Door 19. Clara sprinted the length of the room after him. The Doctor got to the next door and spun the wheel to try and open it to get to the next corridor.

"Stupid doors, come ON!" the Doctor said furiously. They finally reached Door 16, beyond which the TARDIS was parked, but they couldn't get past the door.

"Door 16 out of commission," the computer said.

"Can't be, can't be!" the Doctor said.

"What's wrong?! What is it?" Rose asked.

The Doctor opened a small round window in the door and looked through it.

"Doctor, the TARDIS is in there. What's happened?" Rose asked again.

"The TARDIS is gone," the Doctor said, still looking out the window.

"Can't be," Clara said. The Doctor backed away from the window, looking horrified, and breathing heavily.

"Door 16 out of commission," the computer said.

"The earthquake," the Doctor said. "This section collapsed."

"But it's gotta be out there somewhere," Rose said, puzzled.

"Look down," the Doctor said, as Rose peered out the window. Clara looked out the window next and saw nothing but a large, gaping chasm right on the other side of the door.

After rushing back into the control room, the Doctor said to Zach urgently, "The ground gave way. My TARDIS must've fallen down right into the heart of the planet. But you've got robot drills heading the same way."

"We can't divert the drilling," Zach said, walking off. The Doctor followed after him.

"But I NEED my ship. It's all I've got. Literally the only thing," the Doctor said.

"Doctor, WE'VE only go the resources to drill ONE central shaft down to the power source, and that's it. No diversions, no distractions—NO EXCEPTIONS. Your machine is lost. All I can do is offer you a lift if we ever get to leave this place, and that...is the end of it," Zach said, irritated.

"I'll uh—put you on the duty roster. We need someone in the laundry," Ida said, following Zach from the room.

"Open door 1," the computer said, as the room was now empty, except for the Doctor, Rose, and Clara.

"Close Door 1," the computer said.

"I've trapped you both here," the Doctor said, settling against the control panel next to Rose. Clara went and leaned next to him.

"No," Rose said. "Don't worry about me."

"Nor me," Clara said. "We'll be fine."

The base shook again and Rose said, "Okay, we're on a planet that shouldn't exist, under a black hole...and no way out."

Clara looked over at her cousin.

"Yeah, I've changed my mind. Start worrying about me," Rose said, laughing nervously. The Doctor put an arm around both the girls' shoulders, pulling them into hugs.

"There is one thing that is still bothering me, though," the Doctor said, letting go of them and went to the canteen area where the symbols on the wall were. Rose and Clara made themselves comfortable as the Doctor stared at the symbols with his eyebrows furrowed.

"Danny, check the temperature of Ood Habitation. It seems to be rising," Zach said over the speaker.

Rose got up and left, but Clara stayed with the Doctor.

"D'you have any sort of idea of what they are?" Clara asked.

"No idea," the Doctor said. "That's what's bothering me."

"How about some food?" Clara asked, as they were serving food by the hatch where Rose went. After they had eaten, the three of them sat at a table together. The lights in the canteen room flickered.

"You might wanna see this," Ida said to them. "Moment in history."

She pulled a lever, which opened the window in the ceiling, revealing the black hole.

"There. On the edge," Ida said, pointing. A stream of red light was spiraling into the black hole. "That red cloud...that used to be the Scarlet System. Home to the Peluchi...a mighty civilization spanning a billion years...disappearing. Forever. Their planets and suns consumed."

"It's sad, but amazing," Clara said, staring up at it.

"Ladies and gentlemen...we have witnessed its passing," Ida said.

She went to pull the lever again to shut the window, but the Doctor said, "Er, no, could you leave it open? Just for a bit. I won't go mad, I promise."

"How would you know?" Ida asked him and the Doctor smiled. "Scooti, check the lockdown."

Scooti nodded and left.

"Jefferson, sign off the airlock seals for me," Ida said. Jefferson and Ida left, leaving the three of them alone again.

"I've seen films and things, yeah—they say black holes are like gateways to another universe," Rose said.

"Not that one," the Doctor said. "It just eats."

"Long way from home..." Rose said.

"Long way..." Clara echoed, looking at the space above them.

"Go that way, turn right, keep going for um...about five hundred years...then you'll reach the Earth," the Doctor said, pointing.

"Can I see your phone?" Rose asked Clara. Clara handed it to her and Rose pressed a few buttons on it.

"No signal," Rose said. "That's the first time we've gone out of range. Mind you, even if I could...what would I tell her...? Can you build another TARDIS?"

She gave a half-hearted laugh, knowing it's impossible.

"They were grown, not built," the Doctor said. "And with my own planet gone...we're kind of stuck."

"Well, it could be worse," Rose said, trying to console him. "This lot said they'd give us a lift."

"And then what?" the Doctor asked.

"I dunno...find a planet...get a job...live a life, same as the rest of the universe," Rose said.

"Too domestic," Clara teased.

"Pfft...I'd have to settle down," the Doctor said. "In a house or something, a proper house with...with...with...with DOORS and things. Carpets! Me! Living in a house!"

Rose and Clara both laughed.

"Not that...that is terrifying," the Doctor said.

"You'd have to get a mortgage," Rose teased in a sing-song voice.

"No," the Doctor said, horrified.

"Oh, yes," Rose said.

"And do the dishes," Clara said.

"I am dying," the Doctor said. "That's it. I am dying, it is all over."

"What about me and Clara? We'd have to get one, too," Rose said. "I dunno, Clara could be in the same one as you..."

Clara went the color of her hair and the Doctor looked at Rose.

"I dunno, we'll sort something out," Rose said.

"Anyway," the Doctor said, the situation awkward now.

"We'll see!" Rose said, laughing at the two of them.

"I promised Jackie I'd always take you both back home," the Doctor said, after a moment of silence.

"Everyone leaves home in the end," Rose said.

"I was already planning on it before we met you," Clara said.

"Yeah, but not to end up stuck here," the Doctor said.

"Yeah, but stuck with you and Clara—that's not so bad," Rose said.

"Yeah?" the Doctor said, looking at the both of them.

"Yes," Rose said sincerely.

Clara's phone then rang and she answered it. Since Rose was sitting right next to her, she heard it.

"Hello?" Clara said.

"**He is awake**," the voice said on the other end.

Shocked, Clara flung her phone to the floor. Looking at Rose, she saw that she was also shocked and stunned.

"What was that for?" the Doctor asked.

"Sorry, startled me," Clara said, going to pick up her mobile.

"Right, then," the Doctor said, looking between the girls. "Let's go take a gander in the Ood Habitation."

The three of them bound down the stairs to Ood Habitation to see Danny.

"Evening!" the Doctor said.

"Only us!" Rose said.

"The mysterious people," Danny said. "How are you, then? Settling in?"

"Yeah, sorry, straight to business, the Ood—how do they communicate? I mean, with each other?" the Doctor asked.

"That's so sad," Clara whispered, more to herself, as she looked at the Ood sitting in an area below them in what looked like an animal cage.

"Oh, just empaths," Danny said, shrugging. "There's a low level telepathic field connecting them. Not that that does THEM much good. They're basically a herd race. Like cattle."

Clara fumed at that. They were obviously sentient beings, not cattle. They had minds of their own.

"This telepathic field—can it pick up messages?" the Doctor asked.

"'Cos I was having dinner, and one of the Ood said something...well, odd," Rose said. Rose had told the Doctor and Clara about the Ood and then they told him about the phone.

"Oh," Danny said. "An odd Ood."

"And then Clara got something else on her er...communicator thing," Rose said, looking at the Doctor and Clara.

"Oh, be fair," Danny said. "We've got whole star systems burning up around us. There's all sorts of stray transmissions. Probably nothing."

Clara looked at him, sure he was hiding something and trying to convince them otherwise.

"Look...if there was something wrong, it would show," Danny said. "We monitor the telepathic field. It's the only way to look after them. They're so stupid, they don't even tell us when they're ill."

"They don't look stupid to me," Clara muttered, still fuming.

"Monitor the field—that's this thing?" the Doctor asked, nodding at the computer. Clara glanced at the computer and read 'Basic 5' off of it.

"Yeah, but like I said, it's low level telepathy. They only register Basic 5," Danny said.

While he had been speaking, the reading rose to Basic 6.

"Well, that's not Basic 5," the Doctor said, as the reading rose again and again.

"10..." the Doctor said. "20..."

Down below, the Ood raised their heads in unison as did the readings on the computer.

"They've gone up to Basic 30," the Doctor said to Danny.

"But they can't..." Danny said in disbelief.

"They just did," Clara said.

"Doctor, the Ood..." Rose said, as the Ood turned as one and looked at the four of them on the balcony. "What does Basic 30 mean?"

"Well, it means that they're shouting—screaming inside their heads," Danny said, baffled.

"Or something's shouting at them..." the Doctor said quietly.

"But...where's it coming from? What is it saying? I mean—What did it say to you?" Danny asked Rose.

"Something about the beast in the pit," Rose said.

"What about your communicator? What did that say?" Danny asked, turning to Clara.

"'He is awake'," Clara said.

"And you will worship him," the Ood said as one.

"What the hell?" Danny asked.

"He is awake," the Doctor said, addressing the Ood.

"And you will worship him," the Ood all said.

"Worship who?" the Doctor asked, but there was no reply. "Who's talking to you? Who is it?"

The Doctor still got no answer, so he decided to go down the stairs to the 'pen' where the Ood were to address them. They were still having no luck a few minutes later when the base shook. Clara nearly fell over, but regained her balance.

"Emergency hull breach. Emergency hull breach," the Computer said.

The Doctor rushed back up the stairs, followed by Rose and Clara and the four of them, including Danny, burst back into the canteen room.

"Close Door 19," the Computer said.

The four of them come from one direction, and the rest of the crew from the opposite.

"And you too, Toby!" Jefferson shouted, and they all went through a door. Toby fell flat on his face after Jefferson slammed it shut.

"Breach sealed. Breach sealed," the computer said.

"Everyone all right?!" the Doctor asked, rushing over to everyone. "What happened? What was it?"

"Oxygen levels normal," the computer said.

"Hull breach!" Jefferson said, panting. "We were open to the elements. A couple of minutes and we'd have been inspecting that black hole at close quarters."

"That wasn't a quake. What caused it?" the Doctor asked, as Rose helped Toby, who was sweating and panting on the floor.

"We've lost sections 11 to 13," Zach said on Jefferson's communication device. "Everyone all right?"

"We've got everyone here except Scooti. Scooti, report," Jefferson said into his wrist device.

There was only static and a beep.

"Scooti Manista? That's an order. Report," Jefferson said.

Again, there was only static and a beep.

"She's all right," Zach said through the device. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "I picked up her bio chip, she's in Habitation 3. Better go and check if she's not responding, she might be unconscious. How about that, eh? We survived."

"Habitation 3...come on, I don't often say this, but I think we could all do with a drink," Jefferson said. "Come on."

Clara, the Doctor, and Rose stayed behind to help Toby, who looked quite shaken. The Doctor crouched down and said, "What happened?"

"I don't—I dunno, I—I was working and then I can't remember. All—all that noise, the room was falling apart, there was no air-" Toby said, speaking very fast.

"Come on. Up you get. Come and have some Protein One," Rose said, as she and Clara helped Toby to his feet. Rose then linked arms with Toby and walked with him down the corridor.

"Oh, you've gone native," the Doctor said, as he and Clara followed, hands linked.

"Oi, don't knock it," Rose said. "It's nice. Protein One with just a dash of Three."

"Have you seen Scooti?" Jefferson asked as soon as the four of them came through the doors of the canteen.

"No, no, no, I don't think so," Toby said.

"Scooti, please respond, if you can hear this, please respo—Habitation 6," Ida said into her wrist device.

"Nowhere here," Jefferson said. "Zach? We've got a problem. Scooti's still missing."

"It says Habitation 3," Zach said.

"Yeah, well, that's where I am, and I'm telling you, she's NOT HERE," Jefferson said.

"I've found her," the Doctor said, looking upwards. Clara gave a gasp of horror at the sight of Scooti's body floating eerily outside the window.

"Oh, my gosh..." Rose said.

"Sorry. I'm so sorry," the Doctor said.

"Captain...report Officer Scootori Manista PKD...deceased. 43K2.1," Jefferson said quietly into his wrist device.

"She was twenty...twenty years old," Ida said, going over to the controls and shutting the window to block out the view of Scooti's body.

"For how should Man die better than facing fearful odds?" Jefferson asked. "For the ashes of his father...and the temple of his Gods."

"It's stopped..." Ida said, listening, as there was a strange silence, then there was crash in the distance.

"What was that?" Rose asked. "What was it?"

"The drill," the Doctor said.

"We've stopped drilling. We've made it. Point Zero," Ida said.

"All non-essential Oods to be confined," Zach said over the speaker as the crew prepared to go down the now finished mineshaft.

"Capsule established. All systems functioning...the mineshaft is go...bring systems online now," Ida said.

The Doctor was in a spacesuit, ready to go down with the crew.

"Reporting as a volunteer for the expeditionary force," the Doctor said to Zach.

"Doctor, this is breaking every single protocol," Zach said. "We don't even know who you are."

"Yeah, but you trust me, don't you? And you can't let Ida go down there on her own," the Doctor said. "Go on...look me in the eye...yes you do, I can see it. Trust."

"I should be going down," Zach said.

"The Captain doesn't lead the mission," the Doctor said. "He stays here. In charge."

"Not much good at it, am I?" Zach asked bitterly. The Doctor didn't answer, but looked at him. "Positions! We're going down in two. Everyone, positions!"

Rose and Clara walked over and stood in front of the Doctor.

He checked the device on the wrist of his spacesuit and said, "Oxygen...nitro-balance...gravity. It's been ages since I wore one of these!"

"I want that spacesuit back in one piece, you got that?" Rose asked him.

"Yes, sir," the Doctor said, ready to put on his helmet.

"Wait," Clara said, stopping him. She quickly kissed him (the crew hooted at them) and said, "You better come back, you hear?"

"Of course I will," he said, putting on his helmet.

"It's funny, 'cos people back home think that space travel's gonna be all whizzing about and teleports and anti-gravity...but it's not, is it?" Rose said. "It's tough."

"I'll see you both later," the Doctor said with confidence.

"Not if we see you first," Rose said, trying to be smart. She went over and pulled his head down so she could kiss his helmet and whispered so Clara couldn't hear her. "You'd better come back for her, Doctor, or I'll kill ya myself."

"Roger," the Doctor said.

Clara gave the Doctor one last hug.

"Capsule active," Zach's voice boomed over the speaker. "Counting down in 10...9...8...7...6..."

The Doctor and Ida got into the capsule and Jefferson shut the door behind them.

"5...4...3...2...1..." Zach continued counting.

Clara waved with Rose, but couldn't manage a smile. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. A very bad feeling.

"Release," Zach said, and the capsule and the Doctor both disappeared from sight as they descended down the shaft.

"Don't forget to breathe. Breathing's good," Rose said into the comm., both speaking to the Doctor and Clara, who looked like she was going to have a nervous breakdown from worry.

"Rose, stay off the comm.," Zach said from the control room.

"Fat chance," Rose said.

A moment later, the whole base shook. Rose was back on the comm. as soon as she recovered from it.

"Doctor?" she asked in a calm voice, trying not to panic Clara. There was no reply. "Doctor, are you all right?"

"Doctor?" Clara asked into the comm. in a frantic voice. "Doctor, answer me!"

"Clara, calm down, I'm sure he's fine," Rose said in a soothing voice.

"It's all right...we've made it...coming out of the capsule now," the Doctor's voice said. Both Rose and Clara breathed a sigh of relief.

"What's it like down there?" Rose asked.

"It's hard to tell...some sort of...cave...cavern...it's massive," the Doctor said.

"Well, this should help. Gravity globe," Ida's voice said. "That's...that's...my gosh, that's beautiful."

"Rose...you can tell Toby...we've found his civilization..." the Doctor said.

"Be careful," Clara said into the comm.

"Am I anything but?" the Doctor asked.

"Oi, Toby—sounds like you've got plenty of work," Rose said to Toby cheerfully.

"Good, good. Good," Toby said.

"Concentrate now, people," Zach said from the control room. "Keep on the mission. Ida...what about the power source?"

"We're close," Ida said. "Energy signature indicates north, north west. Are you getting pictures up there?"

"There's too much interference," Zach said. "We're in your hands."

"Well...we've come this far. There's no turning back," Ida said.

"Captain, sir," Clara, Rose, and Jefferson heard from Danny, who was in Ood Habitation. "There's something happening with the Ood.

"What are they doing?" Zach asked from the control room.

"They're staring at me," Danny said in a low voice. "I've told them to stop, but they won't."

"Danny, you're a big boy. I think you can take being STARED at," Zach said.

"But the telepathic field, sir. It's at Basic 100! I've checked—there isn't any fault. It's definitely 100," Danny said.

"But that's impossible," Zach said.

"What's Basic 100 mean?" Rose asked.

"They should be dead," Danny said.

"Basic 100's brain death," Jefferson said.

"But they're somehow not," Clara said, frowning.

"But they're safe? They're not actually moving?" Zach asked.

"No, sir," Danny said.

"Keep watching them," Zach said. "And you, Jefferson—keep a guard on the Ood."

"Officer at arms!" Jefferson said, readying his gun.

"Yes, sir," said one of his crew members.

"You can't fire a gun in here," Rose said, concerned. "What if they hit a wall?"

"I'm firing stock 15, only packs upon organics," Jefferson said, then turned to the security guard crew member. "Keep watch. Guard them."

"Yes, sir," the guard said.

"Is everything all right up there?" the Doctor asked through the comm.

"Yeah, yeah," Rose said quickly.

"All good," Clara said, trying not to sound nervous.

"It's FINE," Zach said from the control room.

"We've found something. It looks like metal. Like some sort of seal," the Doctor said. "I've got a nasty feeling the word might be 'trapdoor.' Not a good word, 'trapdoor.' Never met a trapdoor I liked."

"The edge is covered with those symbols," Ida said.

"Do you think it opens?" Zach asked.

"That's what trapdoors tend to do," the Doctor said.

"'Trapdoor' doesn't do it justice. It's massive, Zach. About thirty feet in diameter," Ida said.

"Any way of opening it?" Zach asked.

"I don't know. I can't see any sort of mechanism," Ida said.

"I suppose that's the writing, that'll tell us what to do. The letters that defy translation," the Doctor said.

"Toby, did you get anywhere with decoding it?" Zach asked.

"Toby," Rose said, looking at him, "they need to know—that lettering, does it make any sort of sense?"

"I know what it says," Toby said quietly.

"Then tell them," Rose said.

"Yeah, now would be the time to share," Clara said, near to biting her nails.

"When did you work that out?" Jefferson asked Toby.

"It doesn't matter, just tell them," Rose said.

Toby stood and turned towards them, but it was really Toby. His eyes were red and he was covered in symbols. When he spoke, it was the same voice that was on Clara's mobile.

"**These are the words of the Beast**," Toby said. Clara and Rose both looked at him in shock. "**And he has woken**."

Jefferson pointed his gun at Toby.

"**He is the heart that beats in the darkness, he is the blood that will never cease. And now he will rise**," Toby said.

"Officer, stand down. STAND DOWN!" Jefferson said.

"What is it?" the Doctor asked over the comm. "What's he done? What's happening? Rose? Clara? What's going on?"

There was no reply from the girls, as the comms were down.

"Officer, as commander of security, I order you to stand down and be confined. Immediately," Jefferson said.

"He's come out in those symbols all over his face. They're all over him," Rose said into the comm.

"**Mr. Jefferson, tell me, sir...did your wife ever forgive you**?" Toby asked.

"I don't know what you mean," Jefferson said, even though he clearly did.

"**Let me tell you a secret: she never did**," Toby said.

"Officer...you stand down to be confined," Jefferson said, swallowing.

"**Or what**?" Toby asked.

"Or under the jurisdiction of Condition Red, I am authorized to shoot you," Jefferson, aiming his gun at Toby.

"**But how many can you kill**?" Toby asked, then his eyes lit up and his mouth opened in a low roar as he was left in a black smoke. Ood then enter, clearly not themselves. Toby, himself again, coughed and collapsed. Jefferson pointed his gun a the three Ood on the deck with them.

"**We are the Legion of the Beast**," the Ood said as one.

"Rose? What is it? Clara?" the Doctor asked through the comm.

"It's the Ood," Rose said into the comm.

"Sir, we have a contamination in the livestock," Jefferson into his wrist device.

"Doctor, I don't know what it is—it's—it's like they're possessed," Rose said.

"They won't listen to us," Jefferson said to Zach.

"**He has woven himself in the fabric of your life since the dawn of time**," all the Ood said together. "**Some may call him Abaddon. Some call him Kroptor. Some may call him satan...or Lucifer...or the Bringer of Despair...The Deathless Prince. The Bringer of Night. These are the words that shall set him free**."

"Back up to the door!" Jefferson shouted to everyone in the room as the Ood advanced.

"**I shall become manifest**," the Ood said.

"Move quickly!" Jefferson said.

"**I shall walk in might**," the Ood said.

"To the door!" Jefferson shouted. They were backing up against the door. "Get it open!"

"**My Legions shall swarm across the worlds...**" the Ood said.

They were still advancing towards Rose, Clara, and Jefferson.

"**I am the sin and the temptation. And the desire. I am the pain and the loss and the dead will come**," the Ood said.

"Get the door open!" Jefferson yelled.

Clara clawed at the door with everyone else, but it wouldn't budge. Jefferson had his gun pointed at the advancing Ood, but they ignored it.

"**I have been imprisoned for eternity. But no more**," the Ood said.

"Door sealed," the computer said as they continued to try and open the door.

"Come on!" Rose shouted.

"Door sealed," the computer said.

"Well, you bloody better well open!" Clara said, kicking the door.

"Door sealed," the computer said.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	23. The Satan Pit

**The Satan Pit**

The Ood were still advancing on Jefferson, Rose, Clara, and the other crew members.

"Open fire!" Jefferson shouted, as he and the other guard fired at the Ood. Rose and Clara both cowered by the door they were trapped against at the sound of the guns.

"Rose! The comm!" Clara said, as soon as the Ood were dead. Rose stepped over the dead Ood to grab the comm.

"Doctor?" Rose said. There was only static, no reply. Clara tip-toed her way around the dead Ood to where Rose was with a look of disgust on her face. "Doctor, can you hear me? Doctor? Ida? Are you there?"

"Doctor, answer me!" Clara yelled into the comm.

"Open Door 25," the computer said, and Jefferson and the guard spun around, guns raised, ready for whatever was coming through the door. It turned out it was only Danny.

"It's me! But they're coming," Danny said.

"Close Door 25," the computer said.

"It's the Ood. They've gone mad," Danny said.

"How many of them?" Jefferson asked.

"All of them! All fifty!" Danny said.

Jefferson approached the door and said, "Danny, out of the way." Danny didn't move. "Out of the way!"

He shoved Danny out of the way.

"But they're armed! They're da-" Danny started to say, but cut off as Jefferson started to open the door. "It's the interface device. I don't know how, but they're using it as a weapon."

"Open door 25," the computer said.

The door opened and the Ood were standing right on the other side. One of them advanced and stuck its communication orb to one of the guard's temple. She screamed, then slumped to the floor, dead. Jefferson started to open fire.

"Doctor, answer!" Clara yelled into the comm. She was shaking all over, just like her voice was.

"We can't get any reply, just...NOTHING, we keep trying, but it's..." Rose said, worried.

The comm crackled and the Doctor's voice finally came through.

"No! Sorry, I'm fine. Still here!" the Doctor said.

Clara gave a sob of relief.

"You could've said, you stupid b-" Rose started to say, also relieve for herself and for Clara.

"WHOA! Careful! Anyway, it's both of us, me and Ida. Hello! But the seal opened up. It's gone. All we've got left is this chasm," the Doctor said.

"How deep is it?" Zach's voice asked.

"Can't tell," the Doctor said. "It looks like it goes on forever."

"'The pit is open'," Rose said. "That's what the voice said.

"But there's nothing? I mean..." Zach said. "There's...NOTHING coming out?"

"No, no," the Doctor said. "No sign of 'the Beast'."

"It said Satan," Rose said, scared.

"Come on, Rose. Keep it together," the Doctor said.

"Is there no such thing?" Rose asked. "Doctor?"

"Doctor?" Clara asked, as he didn't answer.

"Doctor, tell us there's no such thing," Rose said.

"Ida?" Zach said through the comm. "I recommend that you withdraw. Immediately."

"But...we've come all this way!" Ida said.

"Okay, that was an order. WITH-DRAW. With that thing open, the whole planet's shifted. One more inch and we fall into the black hole. So this thing stops right now," Zach said.

"But it's not much better up there with the Ood," Ida said.

"I'm initiating Strategy Nine, so I need the two of you back up top immediately, no argument," Zach said. "Ida? IDA?"

"Doctor?" Clara asked, as there was static again. "Doctor?!"

"Clara, Rose, we're coming back," the Doctor's voice said.

"Best news Clara and I have heard all day!" Rose said, pleased. Clara gave a sigh of relief.

"Keep yourselves safe," Clara said into the comm.

"What're you doing?" Rose asked. Clara turned around to see Jefferson pointing his gun at Toby.

"He's infected. He brought that thing on board. You saw it," Jefferson said. Toby's eyes widened and he was cowering on the floor.

"Are you gonna start shooting your own people, now? Is that what you're gonna do? Is it?" Rose asked.

"If necessary," Jefferson said.

"Well then, you'll have to shoot me 'if necessary', so what's it gonna be?" Rose asked, as she knelt next to Toby. Clara also knelt beside Toby and started soothing his hair, like she would a scared child.

"And me," Clara said.

"Look at his face," Rose said. "Whatever it was, it's gone. It passed into the Ood. You saw it happen. He's clean."

Jefferson considered then said, "Any sign of trouble...I'll shoot him."

"Are you all right?" Rose asked Toby as Jefferson moved away.

"Yeah...I...Dunno," Toby said, trembling, close to tears.

"Can you remember anything?" Rose said.

"Anything that can be helpful?" Clara asked.

"Just...it was so angry," Toby said. "It was...fury and rage...death...It was him. It was the devil."

"Come here," Rose said, drawing him into a comforting hug while Clara rubbed his back.

Clara was one of the first ones waiting for the capsule to come back up. Everyone was gathered, waiting for the Doctor and Ida to make contact that they were in the capsule.

"Okay, were in," Ida said. "Bring us up."

"Ascension in...3...2...1..." Jefferson counted. Clara was almost bouncing on her toes in anticipation for the Doctor to get back.

A second later, the mechanism failed and the lights went out. Clara trembled as a voice, not anyone in the room or even the base, really, sounded through the room.

"**This is the Darkness. This is my domain**," the Voice of the Beast said. "**You little things that live in the light...clinging to your feeble Suns...which die in the...**,"

"That's not the Ood," Zach said through the comm. "Someone's talking through them."

"**Only the Darkness remains**," the Voice said.

"This is Captain Zachary Cross Flane of Sanctury Base Six representing the Torchwood archive. You will identify yourself."

"**You know my name**," the voice said.

"What do you want?" Zach asked.

"**You will die here. All of you. This planet is your grave**."

"It's him. It's him. It's him..." Toby said, trembling.

"If you are the Beast, then answer me this: which on? Hmm?" the Doctor asked over the comm. "'Cos the universe has been busy since you've been gone. There's more religions than there are planets in the sky. The Archivists...Pordonity, Christianity...Pash-Pash, New Judaism...Sanclar...Church of the Tin Vagabond-which devil are you?"

"**All of them**."

"What, then you're the truth behind the myth?" the Doctor asked.

"**This one knows me—as I know him. The killer of his own kind**," the Beast said.

"How did you end up on this rock?" the Doctor asked.

"**The disciples of the Light rose up against me. And chained me in the pit for all eternity**."

"When was this?" the Doctor asked.

"**Before time**."

"What does THAT mean?!" the Doctor asked.

"**Before time**."

"What does 'before time' MEAN?" the Doctor asked.

"**Before light and time and space and matter. Before the cataclysm. Before this universe was created**."

"That's impossible," the Doctor said. "No life could have existed back then."

"**Is that your religion**?"

"It's a belief," the Doctor said.

"**You know nothing. All of you. So small. The Captain, so scared of command. The soldier, haunted by the eyes of his wife. The scientist, still running from daddy. The little boy who lied...The virgin...the lost girl, so far away from home. The valiant child who will die in battle so very soon...the time child who doesn't know the truth but will soon find out and be lost to all that she knew**."

"Doctor, what does it mean?" Rose asked.

"Rose, don't listen," the Doctor said quietly. "You neither, Clara."

"What does it mean?" Rose asked again.

"I want to know as well," Clara said, feeling a little sick. What truth did it mean?

"**You will die...and I will live**," it said to Rose.

Clara gasped and stumbled backwards with everyone but the Doctor at the sound of a roaring noise. Then, everyone started talking at the same time.

"What the hell was that?" Danny asked, his voice shaking in fear.

"I had that thing inside my head," Toby said.

"Doctor, what did it mean?" Rose asked, her voice getting higher.

"What do we do? Jefferson?" Danny asked.

"Doctor, do you know what truth?" Clara asked.

"Captain? What's the situation on Strategy Nine?" Jefferson asked into his wrist device.

"Zach, what do we do?" Danny asked.

"What if I can fix it? The black hole, everything's true," Toby said.

"Captain, report," Jefferson said.

"We've lost pictures-" Zach said.

"Doctor, how did it know all of-" Rose said.

"Did anyone get-?" Ida's voice chimed in.

"Jefferson?" Zach said.

"Stop-" the Doctor started.

"What did it mean?" Rose asked.

"Doctor, what did all of that mean?" Clara asked.

"Everyone just stop-" the Doctor said.

"What do we do?" Danny asked.

"Report," Jefferson said.

Clara clamped her hands over her ears as there was a loud screech, making everyone stop talking.

"If you want voices in the dark, then listen to mine; that thing is playing on very basic fears. Darkness—childhood nightmares, all that stuff," the Doctor said.

"But that's how the devil works," Danny said.

"Or a good psychologist," the Doctor said.

"But...how did it know about my father?" Ida asked.

"Okay, but what makes his version of the truth any better than mine?" the Doctor asked after a slight pause. "Hmm? 'Cos I'll tell you what I can see: humans. Brilliant humans. Humans who travel all the way across space. Flying in a tiny little rocket into the orbit of a black hole! Just for the sake of discovery, that's amazing! Do you hear me? Amazing. All of you. The Captain—his officer—his elder—his genius—his friends. All with one advantage. The Beast is alone. We are not. If we can use that to fight against him-"

Up at the top of the shaft, the cable to the capsule snapped.

"Doctor!" Clara exclaimed into the comm.

"Doctor! We lost the cable! Doctor, are you all right?" Rose asked, but there was no reply. "Doctor?"

"Comms are down," Zach said.

"Doctor? Doctor, can you hear me?" Rose asked.

"Doctor?" Clara asked in a panicked voice. "Please answer me."

"I've still got life signs, but...we've lost the capsule," Zach said from the control room.

"Say something—are you there?" Rose asked into the comm.

"There's no way out," Zach said. "They're stuck down there."

"Don't say that," Clara said in anger and with tears in her eyes. "Don't you dare say that."

Rose grabbed her and hugged her closely. Rose went over to the shaft and looked down it as Clara pulled her knees to her chest and sat against the wall.

"But we've GOT TO bring them back," Rose said.

"They're ten miles down," Jefferson said, also peering down the shaft. "We haven't got another ten miles of cable."

There was a loud bang on one of the doors near Clara, making her jump.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Captain? Situation report," Jefferson said into his wrist device.

"It's the Ood," Zach said. "They're cutting through the door bolts. They're breaking in."

"Yeah, it's the same on Door 25," Jefferson said.

"How long's it gonna take?" Rose asked.

"Well, it's only a basic frame, it should take ten minutes," Jefferson said, as there was another bang.

"I've got a security frame, it might last a bit longer, but that doesn't help you," Zach said.

"Right," Rose said. "So we need to stop them—or get out—or both."

"I'll take both, yeah. But how?" Danny asked.

"You heard the Doctor," Rose said. "Why do you think that thing cut him off? 'Cos he was making sense. He was telling you to think your way out of this. Come on! For a start, we need some lights. There's gotta be some sort of power somewhere."

"Rose is right," Clara said. "Is there anything you can do, Zach?"

"There's nothing I can do. Some captain, stuck in here, pressing buttons," Zach said bitterly.

"That's what the Doctor MEANT: press the right buttons," Rose said.

"They've gutted the generators!" Zach said with realization. "But the rocket's got a independent supply. If I could reroute that...Mr. Jefferson? Open the bypass conduits. Override the safety..."

"Opening bypass conduits, sir," Jefferson said, pressing buttons.

"Channeling rocket feed," Zach said. "In 3...2...1...power."

"There we go," Rose said, clapping as the lights came back on.

"Let there be light!" Danny said.

"What about that Strategy Nine thing?" Rose said.

"Not enough power," Jefferson said. "It needs a hundred percent."

"All right, we need a way out," Rose said, clearly taking charge. "Zach, Mr. Jefferson, you start working on that. Toby, what about you?"

"I'm not a soldier," Toby said, standing up. "I can't do anything."

"No, you're the archeologist," Rose said. "What do you know about the pit?"

"Well, n-n-nothing. We can't even translate the language," Toby said.

"Right," Rose said, turning away. Clara stood up to see what she could do.

"H-hold on," Toby said. "Maybe."

"What is it?" Rose asked.

"Since that thing was inside my head, it's like the letters made more sense," Toby said.

"Well...get to work," Rose said. "Anything you can translate, just...anything."

"I'll help you, Toby," Clara said.

"Thanks," Toby said nervously with a small smile.

"As for you, Danny-boy—you're in charge of the Ood—any way of stopping them?" Rose approached Danny.

"Well...I don't know," Danny said.

Rose pulled him over to the computer and said, "Then find out. The sooner we get control of the base, the sooner we can get the Doctor out. Shift."

Clara went over to Toby and helped him translate any symbols they could. They weren't getting far, with Toby only thinking he knew what they meant by having that thing in his head and Clara writing everything down on a writing tablet.

"Hey, we found a way out," Rose said to Clara and Toby.

"Good, I think we're getting on good here," Clara said and Toby nodded.

The banging at the door continued and Rose, Jefferson, Clara, and Toby were ready to enter the ventilation shafts, minus the ventilation. Zach was in the control room, controlling the air flow in the shafts so that everyone could breathe.

"Danny!" Rose shouted to him, as he was still at the computer.

"Hold on! Just conforming..." Danny said.

"Dan, you gotta go, NOW!" Jefferson said as there was another bang. "Come on!"

"Yeah!" Danny shouted as the computer beeped. He took out an orange computer chip and showed it to them as he hurried over. "Put that in the monitor...and it's a bad time to be an Ood!"

"We're coming back," Rose said. "Have you got that? We're coming back to this room and we're getting the Doctor out."

"Okay, Danny, you go first, then both the Miss Tylers, then Toby, I'll go last in defense position. Now, come on! Quick as you can!"

Clara lowered herself into the tunnel after Rose and Toby followed her.

"What is that smell?" Clara said, as soon as she had landed in the tunnel. "It stinks in here!"

"Which way do we go?" Danny asked through the comm to Zach as Toby landed in the tunnel right next to Clara.

"Just go straight ahead. Keep going 'til I say so," Zach said.

"Not your best angle, Danny," Rose said, looking at Danny's bum.

"Oi! Stop it!" Danny said.

"Like you can talk," Clara said to Rose.

"I dunno, it could be worse," Toby said, staring at Clara's bum.

"Hey! I'm taken, Mister!" Clara said, though she was smiling.

"Straight along until you find junction 7.1. Keep breathing. I'm feeding you air. I've got you," Zach said to them.

When they got to the junction, they all sat down, out of breath.

"We're at 7.1, sir," Danny said into his wrist device.

"Okay, I've got you...I'm just aerating the next section," Zach said.

"Getting kinda cramped, sir...can't you hurry up?" Danny said.

"I'm working on half power, here," Zach said.

"Stop complaining," Jefferson said from behind everyone.

"Mr. Jefferson says 'stop complaining'," Rose said to Danny.

"I heard," Danny said.

"She just thought you needed to be hold again," Clara teased.

"He heard," Rose said to Jefferson.

"But the air's getting a bit thin," Toby said into his wrist device.

"HE'S complaining now," Rose complained.

"I heard," Jefferson said.

"EVERYONE stop complaining," Clara said. "It isn't going to help us get out any faster."

In front of Clara, Rose was sniffing as Danny wiped sweat off his face.

"Danny, is that you?" Rose asked, her nose wrinkled up in disgust.

"I'm not exactly happy," Danny said defensively.

"I'm just moving the air...I've got to oxygenate the next section. Now, keep calm...or it's gonna feel worse," Zach said.

There was suddenly a loud bang from the other end of the tunnel. Jefferson aimed his gun.

"What was that?" Danny asked.

"Mr. Jefferson, what was that?" Rose asked loudly.

"What's that noise?" Toby asked.

"Captain...what was that?" Jefferson asked Zach.

"The junction in Habitation Five's been opened—it must be the Ood," Zach said, then warned, "They're in the tunnels!"

"Well, open the gate!" Danny said.

"I've gotta get the air in!" Zach said.

"Just open it!...sir," Danny said, adding that last bit.

"Where are they? Are they close?" Rose asked.

"Don't know, I can't tell—I can't _see_ them...the computer doesn't register Ood as proper life forms," Zach said.

"Real helpful," Clara said sarcastically.

"Whose idea was that?" Rose asked.

"OPEN the gate!" Danny practically roared into his wrist device.

"Calm down, Danny," Clara said as the gate opened and they all lunged through it.

"Danny, turn left. Immediate left," Zach said.

They all crawled as fast as they could with Mr. Jefferson going backwards with his gun ready.

"The Ood, sir—can't you trap them? Cut off the air?" Jefferson asked Zach.

"Not without cutting off yours," Zach said. "Danny, turn right. Go right! Go fast, Dan—they're gonna catch up!"

"I'll maintain defense of position," Jefferson said, as Danny did as Zach said frantically.

"You can't stop!" Rose said.

"Miss Tyler—that's my job. You've got your task—now see to it," Jefferson said, sitting down, aiming his gun.

"You heard what he said, now SHIFT," Toby said, as Rose was keeping him and Clara up.

"Hurry up, Rose!" Clara said. The three of them moved on, leaving Jefferson behind. They heard gunshots behind them as they reached the next junction.

"8.2. Open 8.2. Zach!" Danny said into his wrist device.

"I've gotta aerate it!" Zach said.

"OPEN IT NOW!" Danny said furiously.

"I'm TRYING," Zach said.

Danny started thumping on the gate, desperate.

"Danny, stop it," Rose said, stopping him. "That's not helping."

"Zach, get it open!" Toby said from behind Clara.

"They're gonna catch us!" Clara said.

"Jefferson...I've gotta open 8.2 by closing 8.1 You've GOT to get past the junction, now MOVE. That's an order, now MOVE!" Zach said. "I'm gonna lose oxygen, Jefferson, I can't stop for your dramatics!"

The gate opened and they all crawled through it.

"Come on!" Danny said, crawling first.

"Danny, turn left and head for 9.2," Zach said. "That's the last one. Jefferson, you've gotta move faster. Move!"

"Mr. Jefferson, come on-!" Rose said.

"Come on!" Clara shouted.

"Keep GOING!" Toby said, pushing Clara forward.

It was too late, though. The gate closed, leaving Jefferson trapped on the wrong side.

"No!" Clara said.

"Regret to inform, sir...I was a bit slow," Jefferson said. "Not so fast, these days."

"I can't open 8.1, John. Not without losing air for the others," Zach said.

"And quite right too, sir. I think I bought them a little time," Jefferson said. The rest of them reached the end of the tunnel.

"There's nothing I can do, John," Zach said quietly. "I'm sorry."

"You've done enough, sir," Jefferson said. "Made a very good captain under the circumstances."

Clara eyes filled with tears and she bit her lip.

"I ask, if you can't add oxygen to this section...can you speed up the process of its removal?" Jefferson asked.

"I don't understand. What do you mean?" Zach asked.

"Well...if I might chose the manner of my departure, sir...lack of air seems more natural than...well...let's say...death by Ood," Jefferson said. "I'd appreciate it, sir!"

"God speed, Mr. Jefferson," Zach said.

"Thank you, sir," Jefferson said.

"Report...Officer John Maynard Jefferson PKD...deceased...with honor," Zach said.

Danny, Rose, Clara, and Toby sat in silence.

"43K2. 1," Zach said.

"Zach...we're at the final junction," Danny said. "9.2. And, er...if my respects could be on record. He saved our lives."

"Noted," Zach said. "Opening 9.2."

The gate opened, but there were Ood right behind it, waiting for them. The four of them scrambled back in chock.

"Lower 9.2. Zach, lower it!" Rose said.

"Back! Back! Back!" Danny yelled.

"We can't go back! The gang point's sealed off, we're stuck!" Toby said.

"Come on!" Rose said, pushing a grill above their heads out of the way.

She crawled up first, followed by Danny, then Clara. The Ood started crawling towards Toby.

"Come on! Toby, come on!" Rose called down to Toby. "Toby, get out of the there!"

"Help me! Oh, my gosh—help me!" Toby said, scrambling up.

Rose, Danny, and Clara helped hoist him up through the hole.

"It's this way," Danny said, crawling in the opposite direction. The rest of them followed him with the Ood behind them.

"Hurry up!" Zach said.

Danny, Rose, Clara, and Toby burst through the doors into the Ood Habitation and rushed over to the computer. The Ood that were already inside looked up at them.

"Get it in!" Rose said.

"Danny, get down," Toby said.

"Transmit!" Rose yelled.

"I'm trying, I'm trying! I'm getting at it-" Danny said.

"Stop them!" Toby said.

The Ood were making their way up the stairs towards them.

"Danny, get that thing transmitting!" Rose said.

"Hurry! They're almost here!" Clara said, backing up from the approaching Ood.

Danny put the chip into the computer and the reading on it went to Basic 0. The Ood in the room clutched at their heads and stumbled about, as if drunk. They collapsed to the floor and it was silent.

"You did it! We did it!" Rose said, smiling.

"Yes!" Danny said.

Clara started laughing and hugged Toby, then Danny, then Rose.

"Zach, we did it," Rose said into the comm. "The Ood are down. Now we've gotta get the Doctor."

"I'm on my way," Zach said.

Rose rushed back to the exploration deck with Clara right on her tail.

"Doctor!?" Clara shouted into the comm.

"Doctor? Are you there? Doctor? Ida? Can you hear me?" Rose asked through the comm.

"The comms are still down. I can patch them through the central desk and boost the signal. Just give me a minute," Zach said.

"Doctor? Please answer me," Clara said, as soon as Zach said he'd gotten it.

"Doctor? Are you there? Doctor? Ida? Can you hear me?" Rose said. "Are you there, Doctor?"

"He's gone," Ida said, finally coming through the comm.

"What do you mean, 'he's gone'?" Rose asked.

"He's gone?!" Clara said.

"He fell," Ida said. "Into the pit. And I don't know how deep it is—miles and miles and miles."

"But...what do you mean 'he fell'?" Rose asked.

"Fell?" Clara whispered.

"I couldn't stop him," Ida said quietly. "He said your name...and Clara's."

Zach tugged the comm away from Rose.

"Fell?" Clara whispered again and Rose embraced her, silent.

"I'm sorry," Zach told them. Clara felt like her heart was in her stomach. She felt sick and couldn't say or do anything.

"Ida?" Zach said into the comm. "There's no way of reaching you. No cable, no back-up...you're ten miles down...We can't get there."

"You should see this place, Zach. It's beautiful. Well, I wanted to discover things...and here I am," Ida said.

"We've got to abandon the base," Zach said. "I'm declaring this mission unsafe. All we can do is make sure no one ever comes here again."

"But we'll never find out what it was?" Ida asked.

"Well, maybe that's best," Zach said.

"Yeah," Ida said.

"Officer Scott-" Zach said after a pause.

"It's all right," Ida said. "Just go. Good luck."

"Thank you," Zach said, turning off the comm. "Danny, Toby—close down the feed links. Get the retrotopes online. Then get to the rocket—strap yourselves in. We're leaving."

"I'm not going," Rose said.

"Me, neither," Clara said firmly.

"Rose, Clara, there's space for you," Zach said reassuringly.

"No, we're gonna wait for the Doctor. Just like he waited for us," Rose said.

"I'm sorry, but...he's dead," Zach said gently.

"Don't say that," Clara said. "Don't you dare."

"You don't know him," Rose said. "'Cos he's not...I'm telling you, he's—he's not...and even if he was, how could we leave him? All on his own, all the way down there? No. We're gonna stay."

"We're staying," Clara said in a firm and final voice.

Zach nodded then said, "Then I apologize for this. Danny, Toby—make them secure."

Danny and Toby each grabbed one of the girls, holding their arms behind their backs.

"No!" Clara screamed, struggling and trying to kick away from Danny.

"No, no! No! No! No! Let me go!" Rose struggled against Toby. "Get off me! Get off Clara! We're not leaving!"

Zach had two needles in his hands. He plunged one into Rose's arm and the other into Clara's, sedating them.

Clara immediately stopped struggling, going limp.

The next thing she knew, she was strapped into a seat.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"It's all right, Rose, Clara—you're safe," Danny said.

"No!" Clara said, struggling even more.

"I'm not going anywhere!" Rose shouted. "Get me out of this thing! Get me out!"

"No! We have to save the Doctor!" Clara shouted, tugging at her seat belt.

"And...lift-off!" Zach said.

Clara whispered, "Rose," and indicated to a bolt gun by her as the three men whooped.

Rose grabbed the gun and pointed it at Zach.

"Take us back to the planet," Rose said, but Zach didn't reply or even turn around.

"Take us BACK!" Rose shouted.

"NOW!" Clara practically screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Or what?" Zach asked.

"Or I'll shoot," Rose said.

"Would you, though? Would you really?" Zach asked, turning to her. "Is that what your Doctor would want?"

"Probably not," Clara said, "but I would do just about anything right now to get him back. I'm pretty desperate."

Rose had slumped in her chair, defeated, but Clara took the gun from her. She had fire in her eyes as she pointed it at Zach.

"Take us back," she said firmly.

"Sorry, but it's too late anyway. Take a look outside. We can't turn back. This is what the Doctor would have wanted," Zach said.

"You don't even know him," Clara said coldly.

"Isn't that right, though?" Zach asked.

"Possibly, but turn back anyways," Clara said.

"Clara, he's right," Rose said.

"NO! I won't give up on him!" Clara said, tears in her eyes. Then, she broke down sobbing, the gun falling to the floor.

A minute later, Toby laughed quietly to himself.

"What's the joke?" Danny asked.

"Just...we made it. We escaped. We actually did it," Toby said. Clara removed her hands from her eyes and glared at him.

"Not all of us," Rose said.

"We're not out of it yet," Zach said. "We're still the first people in history to fly AWAY from a black hole. Toby, read me the stats."

"Gravity funnel holding, sir. Always holding," Toby said, still smirking.

"We might have to get that house after all," Clara said quietly to Rose, tears still going down her cheeks. Rose didn't answer, just looked out the window.

"Stats at 53, funnel status at 66.5. Hull pressure constant. Smooth as we can, sir. All the way back home," Toby said. "Coordinates set for Planet Earth."

"It doesn't make sense," Rose finally said, thinking. "We escaped, but there's a thousand ways it could've killed us. It could've...ripped out the air or...I dunno, burnt us, or anything. But it let us go. Why? Unless it wanted us to escape..."

"Hey, Rose, do us a favor," Toby said, then nastily said, "Shut up."

"Don't talk to her like that," Clara snarled as Rose started at Toby.

"Almost there," Toby said, ignoring Clara. "We'll be beyond the reach of the black hole in 40...39..."

The rocket then started to shake violently. Clara grabbed onto her seat belt tightly, not that it did any good.

"What happened? What was that?!" Danny exclaimed.

"What's he doing? What is he doing?" Toby said.

"We've lost the funnel! Gravity collapse!" Zach said.

"What does that mean?" Rose asked.

"We can't escape," Zach said. "We're headed straight for the black hole!"

"Is there anything we can do?" Clara asked.

"No!" Zach said.

"It's the planet," Rose said, looking out the window. "The planet's moving. It's falling."

Clara was frozen in shock while Rose had been talking. Toby was glaring at the two of them, his eyes red and symbols once again all over his face.

"**I am the rage**-" Toby said in the Voice of the Beast.

"It's Toby, Zach, do something-" Rose said.

"**And the bile and the ferocity**," Toby said.

"Just do something!" Rose screamed.

Clara remembered the gun she had dropped. The Doctor would definitely frown on it, but it would probably save them from Toby. But first, she had to get it.

"**I am the Prince and the Fall and the Darkness**-" Toby said.

"It's him! It's him! It's him!" Danny said.

"Stay where you are, the ship's not stable!" Zach said.

Clara shrieked and ducked as a burst of flames came out of Toby's mouth. She scrambled for the gun with it just barely missing her fingers.

"What is he?!" Zach exclaimed. "What the HELL is he?"

"**I shall never die! The thought of me is forever! In the bleeding hearts of men—in their vanity and obsession and lust**-"

Clara finally managed to grab the gun.

"**Nothing shall ever destroy me. Nothing!**"

"What about this?" Clara asked, pointing the gun at the front window. She fired, shattering the glass. Rose helped her by undoing Toby's seat belt and he was sucked out through the window and into space. Clara had to grab onto her seat belt tightly as she had to undo it to grab the gun.

"Hang on!" Rose shouted at her, as Clara was only hanging on by her seat belt.

"Emergency shield!" Zach said, pressing a button. The emergency shield went on, covering the hole. Clara fell to the ground, gasping for breath. The rocket was still shuddering and shaking, heading straight for the black hole.

"We've still lost the gravity funnel. We can't escape the black hole!" Zach said.

Clara sat back in her seat, staring at her hands.

"I just killed a person," she said.

"But we stopped him," Rose said. "That's what the Doctor would've done."

"Some victory," Zach said. "We're going in."

"The planet's lost orbit!" Danny said, terrified and looking at the computer screen. "It's falling!"

A minute later, the screen went blank.

"The planet's gone. I'm sorry," Danny said.

Clara took several deep breaths and just nodded, though not really accepting it.

"Accelerate," Zach said. "I did my best. But hey—first Human Beings to fall inside a black hole. How about that? History."

Clara and Rose grabbed hands and closed their eyes, waiting for impact. The rocket suddenly stopped and there was silence.

"Is this it?" Clara asked.

"What happened?" Rose asked.

They all leaned to one side due to the rocket turning.

"We're...turning," Zach said, confused, looking at the screen. "We're turning around. We're turning away!"

The comm suddenly turned on and the Doctor's voice came on.

"Sorry about the hijack, Captain," he said. "This is the good ship TARDIS."

Clara was sure she nearly broke Rose's hand from squeezing it so tightly in excitement.

"He's alright!" Clara shrieked.

"Now, first thing's first—have you got a Rose and Clara Tyler on board?" the Doctor asked.

"We're here! It's us! Oh, my gosh!" Rose said quickly, overjoyed.

"Doctor! You're okay!" Clara exclaimed.

"Where are you?" Rose asked.

"Of course I'm okay," the Doctor said. "I'm just towing you home. Gravity-schmavity. My people practically invented black holes. Well—in fact, the did. In a couple of minutes, we'll be nice and safe. Oh, and captain—can we do a swap? Say, if you give me Rose and Clara Tyler, I'll give you Ida Scott? How about that?"

"She's alive!" Zach said, delighted.

"Yes!" Danny exclaimed.

"Yeah!" the Doctor said. "Bit of oxygen starvation, but she should be all right. I couldn't save the Ood. I only had time for one trip. They went down with the planet. Ah! Entering clear space—end of the line—mission closed."

"Thank goodness," Clara muttered, totally relieved, but still reeling over the fact that she killed someone.

The Doctor had lined up the TARDIS with the rocket and Rose and Clara both went to the TARDIS and Ida into the rocket. The Doctor hugged Rose first, then gathered Clara in his arms and kissed her urgently. As soon as he pulled away, she slapped him.

"Oi! What was that for?" he asked.

"For scaring me," she said, then grabbed his jacket and pulled him in for another kiss, while Rose smirked.

Clara grabbed his hand as they stood by the console. The Doctor got on the comm and addressed the crew in the rocket.

"Zach? We'll be off, now. Have a good trip home," he said. "And the next time you get curious about something—oh...what's the point? You'll just go blundering in. The human race..."

"But Doctor, what did you find down there?" Ida asked. "That creature—what was it?"

"I don't know! Never did decipher that writing. But that's good! Day I know everything? Might as well stop," the Doctor said, squeezing Clara's hand and she smiled at him.

"What do you thing it was?" Rose asked. "Really?"

"I think...we beat it," the Doctor said. "That's good enough for me."

"It said I was gonna die in battle," Rose said.

"Then it lied," the Doctor said confidently. Rose smiled, convinced.

"Right, onwards, upwards—Ida—see you again, maybe!" the Doctor said.

"I hope so," Ida said.

"And thanks, boys!" Rose said.

"And sorry about all the trouble we caused," Clara said.

"Hang on though, Doctor. You never really said...you three...who are you?" Ida asked.

"Oh...the stuff of legend," the Doctor said, looking at Rose and Clara. He pulled a lever and the time rotor rose and fell.

After Rose had gone to bed for the night, Clara stayed up to talk to the Doctor.

"Doctor?" she said.

"Yes, Love?" he asked, tinkering, as always.

"I—I need to talk to you," she said.

Thinking it was the worst, that she wanted to go home, the Doctor turned around.

"What is it?" he asked cautiously.

"I did something horrible," she said, covering her mouth with her hands, letting out a sob.

"Oh, shhh," the Doctor said, gathering her up in a hug, trying to comfort her. "Why don't you tell me about it?"

"I—I killed someone," she said. "Toby. He was still possessed, so I shot out the glass of the rocket and he g-got sucked out into space."

"It's alright," the Doctor said. "I understand. You had to to save everyone."

"Yeah, I guess, but I still feel terrible," Clara said.

"It'll pass, Love," the Doctor said.

"And the other thing was what that thing said about me. What truth was it talking about?" Clara asked.

"I don't know, but I'm sure it was lying," the Doctor said. "It was just trying to get into our heads."

"I suppose..." Clara said.

"Don't think about it anymore, Love. Just go and get some sleep," the Doctor said, kissing her forehead before sending her up the stairs.

"Goodnight, Doctor. I love you," Clara said, turning around on the stair.

"I love you, too," the Doctor said. "Pleasant dreams."


	24. Love and Monsters

**Love and Monsters**

What had appeared to actually be a slow day, turned out to be another monster hunt. _Typical_, Clara thought, as she was regretting her shoe choice. She had decided to go with a pair of heeled ankle boots instead of her normal flats.

"Doctor!" Rose yelled. "Doctor, the trap!"

"Over here!" Clara shouted. "It went that way!"

"Where's he gone?" the Doctor asked, coming from the opposite direction. "Can you see him?"

"No! I lost him!" Clara said, losing sight of the monster.

"There he is!" Rose shouted. "Stop—no! Watch out, Clara! There!"

Clara did a sort of cool, secret agent roll out of the way.

"Did you see that?!" she asked, psyched about it.

"Where?" the Doctor asked about the monster.

"There! Over there!" Rose said.

"I've got it!" Clara said, going after the monster cautiously. She pulled her pork chop she had out of her pocket (of course it was in a baggie!) and ran on. She ran into the Doctor, who met up with her outside the door the monster was at. There was also a man trembling in fear in front of the monster. She ran to the left side of the monster, while the Doctor went to the right, both waving their pork chops.

"Here, boy! Eat the food! C'mon, look at the lovely food! Isn't that nice? Isn't it? Yes, it is!" the Doctor said.

"It's not a baby, Doctor!" Clara said. "C'mon, you big ugly git!"

The monster turned to Clara, while the Doctor addressed the man, who was standing motionless, in shock.

"Get out of here, quickly!" the Doctor said.

"Come on, you stupid monster!" Clara shouted, waving the pork chop in the air.

"I said run!" the Doctor shouted at the man.

Rose then came charging in with a loud cry, flinging the contents of a blue steaming bucket onto the monster. The monster howled and clutched at its eyes.

"Wrong one! You made it worse!" the Doctor said.

"You said blue!" Rose said.

"I said 'not blue'!" the Doctor said.

"I heard you say blue!" Clara shouted.

The monster spotted Rose, who took off in the opposite direction.

"Oh...hold on!" the Doctor said, irritated.

Clara took off one way, the Doctor in the other direction after slamming the door shut. The next few minutes was scrambling in every which direction down corridors with the monster chasing after them. Rose then got hold of a red bucket and started chasing after the monster with it.

"Doctor!" Clara shouted, as the Doctor had stopped.

"I got it!" Rose shouted, after flinging the contents of the red bucket on the monster this time, effectively killing it.

"Job done, let's go," Clara said. "My feet are killing me."

It was a few weeks later that Rose and Clara called Jackie to talk to her. They found out that she was doing fine, other than being lonely.

"I'll see you both soon," Jackie said.

"We might pop by," Clara said.

"All right, be careful," Jackie said.

"We love you," Rose said.

"Bye," Jackie said.

"We should go see her," Clara said. "She sounds really lonely."

"Yeah, we should," Rose said, missing Jackie.

It was a couple weeks later when they finally got around to seeing Jackie. She was really upset when they saw her. Something about a man she thought was a friend, but was just using her to get to the Doctor. That really set Rose and Clara off. Nobody upset their mum and got away with it.

"We've got trouble, Doctor," Clara said to him. They followed the trail of the man, thanks to Jackie's detailed description of him, and found him at the end of an alley, with an alien over him. The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS first.

"Someone wants a word with you," the Doctor said to the man.

Rose and Clara both stormed out of the TARDIS, looking murderous. Rose advanced on the man, or Elton, as his name was, but Clara stayed back, afraid she would hit him, she was so mad.

"You upset our mum," Rose said, going straight to the point.

"...Great big absorbing creature from outer space, and you're have a go at me?" Elton asked.

"Of course she is," Clara growled.

"No one upsets our mum," Rose said, dismissing what Elton had said.

"At last," the monster said gleefully. "The greatest feast of all. The Doctor."

"What's this thing?" the Doctor said, looking at the monster. "A sort Absorbatrix? Absorba...clon? Absorbaloff?"

"Absorbaloff, yes," it said.

"Is it me or is he a bit...Slitheen?" Rose asked Clara and the Doctor.

"Not just you," Clara said, wrinkling her nose in disgust at the monster.

"Not from Raxacorricofallapatorius, are you?" the Doctor asked the Absorbaloff.

"No!" the Absorbaloff said, insulted. "I'm not the swine! I SPIT on them! I was born on their twin planet."

"Really?" the Doctor asked. "What's the twin planet of Raxacorricofallapatorius?"

"Clom," the Absorbaloff said.

"Clom," the Doctor repeated.

"Bit of a let down after Raxacorricofallapatorius," Clara said, glaring at Elton.

"Clom," the Absorbaloff said. "Yes. And I'll return there victorious, whilst I possess your traveling machine."

"Well, that's never gonna happen," the Doctor said skeptically.

"Oh, it will," the Absorbaloff said. "You'll surrender yourself to me, Doctor, or this one dies. You see, I've read about you, Doctor. I've studied you. So passionate, so sweet. You wouldn't let an innocent man die. And I'll absorb him—unless you give yourself to me."

Clara snorted and Rose looked amused. The Doctor scratched the back of his neck and said, "Sweet...maybe. Passionate...I suppose (at this, Clara giggled and the Doctor winked at her). But don't ever mistake that for nice. Do what you want."

"He'll die, Doctor," the Absorbaloff warned.

"Go on then," the Doctor said.

"If you don't kill him, Rose and I most likely will," Clara said coldly. "Or just give him a good beating."

"So be it," the Absorbaloff said, turning to Elton.

"Mind you—the others might have something to say," the Doctor said.

"Others?" the Absorbaloff asked.

"He's right," one of the voices on the Absorbaloff said. "The Doctor's right. We can't let him. Oh, Mr. Skinner...Bridget...PULL!"

"No!" the Absorbaloff said.

"PULL!" the woman said again.

"No, don't—get off, get off!" the Absorbaloff said.

"If it's the last thing we ever do—Bliss! All of us together! Come on! Pull!" the woman shouted. The Absorbaloff screamed in pain. "LINDA united! Pull! Elton! The cane!"

The Absorbaloff had dropped his cane and Elton picked it up.

"Break it!" the woman screamed.

Elton snapped the cane in two and it let out a shower of sparks. The hands on the end of it opened, revealing a glowing light.

"My cane!" the Absorbaloff shouted. "You stupid man—oh, no!"

It roared a final time, then turned into liquid and melted into the pavement, gone.

"...What did I do?" Elton asked.

"The cane created a limitation field. Now, it's broken, he can't stop. The absorber is being absorbed," the Doctor said, looking at the bubbling remains of the Absorbaloff.

"By what?" Elton asked.

"By the Earth," the Doctor said.

The woman who had been giving everyone instructions from the Absorbaloff appeared in one of the paving stones for a moment.

"Bye bye, Elton. Bye bye," she said, then sank back into the paving slab.

"Who was she?" Rose asked. Clara's anger melted as a tear ran down Elton's cheek.

"That was Ursula," Elton said. Rose looked at him for a moment, then went and put her arms around his shoulder as he wept.

"You don't remember, do you?" the Doctor asked Elton.

Elton seemed to know what he was talking about, because he said, "No, I don't."

The Doctor went and sat on some steps, Rose, Clara, and Elton following. Rose linked her arms with Elton's, while Clara and the Doctor linked hands.

"There was a shadow in your house," the Doctor explained. "A living shadow in the darkness. An elemental shade had escaped from the Howling Halls. I stopped it, but...I wasn't in time to save her. I'm sorry."

Elton's lip trembled.

"I think there's one last thing I can do for you, Elton," the Doctor said, pulling out his sonic screwdriver. He held it to the paving slab where Ursula's face had been. "If I can key into the absorption matrix and separate the last victim...it's too late for total reconstruction, BUT..."

He stood up and looked at everyone, eyes wide.

"Elton! Fetch a spade!" the Doctor said.

The Doctor was able to pull up the paving stone with Ursula's face on it. Clara thought it was highly odd, but Elton looked very happy.

"Whatever floats his boat," Clara whispered to Rose.

There was also the matter of Jackie. Before leaving in the TARDIS, Clara gave Elton a slap.

"Don't go near Jackie Tyler again," she warned, then shut the TARDIS doors, taking off into the time vortex.


	25. Fear Her

**Fear Her**

"I think you've got it wrong," Clara said, giggling, as the Doctor opened the TARDIS door but was blocked by a gate.

"Ah, I think so," the Doctor said.

"What's the hold up?" Rose asked.

"The Doctor got it wrong again," Clara said, as they went back to the console so the Doctor could fix it.

"Ah!" the Doctor said, finally able to step out of the TARDIS.

"Got it right this time," Clara teased.

"Yup," the Doctor said, a bit clueless.

"So, near future, yeah?" Rose asked, after spotting a Shayne Ward poster advertising his greatest hits album.

"I had a pressing fancy," the Doctor said. "Only it didn't pass, it stopped."

Clara snorted and shook her head at him. The Doctor took her hand as they walked down the street with Rose right next to them. There was a banner over the road that read 'London 2012.'

"30th Olympia," the Doctor said.

"No way!" Rose said, linking her arm through the Doctor's free one. "Why didn't I think of this, that's great! Ah!"

The Doctor beamed and said, "Only seems like yesterday a few naked Greek blokes were tossing a discus about...wrestling each other in the sand with crowds stood about, begging...no, wait a minute...that was Club Med." He nudged the girls, laughing.

"Ooh, can we go there next?" Clara joked, wiggling her eyebrows.

Rose laughed at her.

"We're just in time for the opening doo dah—ceremony...tonight, I thought you'd both like that. Last one they had in London was dynamite. Wembley, 1948. I loved it so much, I went back and watched it all over again. Fella carrying the torch..lovely chap, what was his...? Mark...? John...? Mark...? Legs like pipe cleaners, but strong as a whippet," the Doctor said.

"Doctor-" Rose said.

"And in those days, everybody had a tea party to go to," the Doctor said.

"Doctor?" Rose said, trying to get his attention. Clara noticed all the 'MISSING' posters that Rose was looking at.

"Did you ever have one of those little cakes with the crunchy ball bearings on top-?" the Doctor went on, oblivious.

"You should really look," Rose said.

"Doctor, Rose is trying to get your attention," Clara said.

"Do you know those—those things?" the Doctor asked, finally walking over to Rose. Since Clara was still holding his hand, she went over with him. "Nobody else in this entire galaxy's ever even bothered to make edible ball bearings. Genius." He looked at the posters. "What's taking them, do you think? Snatching children from a thoroughly ordinary street like this. Why's it so cold...? Is something reducing the temperature...?"

"It says they all went missing this week," Rose said. "Why would a person do something like this?"

"Because they're messed up in the head?" Clara suggested.

"What makes you think it's a person?" the Doctor asked, considering the two of them. He didn't wait for an answer, instead, tugged Clara along to the other end of the road. Dropping her hand, the Doctor held out his hand in front of him, as though feeling something for something invisible. He then crouched, his hand hovering over a patch of grass.

"What are you doing?" Clara asked him, amused.

"Looking for something," the Doctor said. He giggled at whatever her felt. "Tickles!"

A man appeared behind them, hands in his pockets.

"What's your game?" he asked. Clara gave the man an apologetic look as the Doctor spun around.

"My...um...Snakes and Ladders?" the Doctor said, floundering. "Quite good at...Squash. Reasonable. I'm...being facetious, aren't I? There's no call for it."

Clara smacked her palm to her forehead. She spent the next minute or so apologizing to the man, who looked like he wanted to beat the Doctor up. The Doctor was slowly backing away with his hands up.

"I'm—I'm a police officer!" the Doctor said quickly. "I've got a badge—and—and a police car...you don't have to get—I can—I can prove it! Just hold on-"

"What are you doing?" Clara muttered, as he fished for his psychic paper.

"We've had plenty of coppers poking around here, and you don't look—or sound—like any of them," the man said roughly.

"See, look! She's my colleague and her!" the Doctor said, pointing at Clara and then Rose. "Clark and Lewis."

Rose gave the man a wink.

"Well, they look less like coppers than you do," the man said.

"Training. New recruits. It was either that or hairdressing, so..." the Doctor said, practically rubbing the psychic paper in the man's face. "Voila!"

"What are you going to do?" a woman asked, named Trish, who just joined them.

"The police have knocked on every door—no clues, no leads, nothing," another woman, named Maeve said.

"Look, kids run off sometimes, all right? That's what they do-" the man said.

"Dale Hixon in your garden, playing with your Tommy, and then...! Right in front of me, like he was never there! There's no need to look any further than this street. It's right here amongst us," Maeve said.

"Why don't we-" the Doctor started.

"Why don't we start with him?" a neighbor said, pointing at a man named Kel. "There's been all sorts like him in this street, day and night."

"Fixing things up for the Olympics!" Kel said indignantly.

"Yeah, and taking an awful long time about it," the man they had been talking to said.

"I'm of the opinion that all we've gotta do is just-" the Doctor said.

"You don't—what you just said, that's slander!" Kel said, not listening to the Doctor.

"I don't care what it is!" the neighbor said.

"I think we need to just-" the Doctor started again.

"I want an apology off her!" Kel said.

"Stop picking on him," Maeve said.

"Yeah, stop picking on me!" Kel said.

"And stop pretending to be blind! It's evil!" Maeve said.

"I don't believe in evil," the neighbor said, glaring at Kel.

"Oh no, you just believe in tarmackers with sack loads of kidnapped kiddies in their van-" Kel said angrily.

"Ay, ay, ay, that's not what she' saying," the neighbor said.

"Would you sop ganging up on me?!" Kel shouted.

"Feeling guilty, are we?" the neighbor asked shrilly.

"Fingers on lips!" the Doctor shouted over everyone. He put his finger on his lips to show them and glared around at everyone as if daring them not to comply. After looking bewildered, everyone followed suit and the Doctor looked at Rose and Clara, who also put their fingers on their lips. Silence had finally fallen in the street.

"In the last six days, three of your children have been stolen. Snatched out of thin air, right?" the Doctor asked.

Maeve gestured to get permission to take her finger off her lips. "Er...can I...?" she asked and the Doctor motioned for her to go ahead.

"Look around you...this was a safe street 'til it came. It's not a person. I'll say it if no one else will," Maeve said. "Maybe you're coppers—maybe you're not. I don't care who you are. Can you please help us?"

The Doctor agreed, so long as he could investigate how he needed to. A minute later, the was sniffing around the front lawn like a dog. Clara had her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. She was used to the Doctor's oddities, but this pretty much took the cake.

"Want a hanky?" Rose finally asked, as he kept sniffing.

"Can you two smell it?" the Doctor asked.

Clara sniffed but only smelled a sort of metallic smell in the air.

"What does it remind you of?" the Doctor asked them.

"Sort of...metal?" Rose said.

"Yeah, like money, almost," Clara said.

"Mm-hm!" the Doctor said, nodding.

"Ooh!" Rose said, grinning.

They left the street and walked down a narrow alleyway.

"Danny Edwards cycled in one end but never came out the other," the Doctor explained about the alley. "Whoa, there it goes again! Look at the hairs on the back of my manly hairy hand."

"And there's that smell...it's like a um...a burnt fuse plug or something," Rose said, as Clara felt the hand that the Doctor had held out, grinning.

"It stinks," Clara said.

"There's a residual energy in the spots where the kids vanished. Whatever it was, it used an awful lot of power to do this," the Doctor said.

The Doctor and Clara linked hands as they continued down the alley.

"Aren't you a beautiful boy?!" Rose cooed.

"Thanks!" the Doctor beamed. "I'm experimenting with back-combing."

Clara wrinkled her nose. The Doctor then noticed that Rose was talking to a cat.

"Oh," he said, disappointed.

"Don't worry, I still think you're a beautiful boy," Clara said, grabbing the Doctor's cheek.

"I used to have one like you," Rose said to the cat. "What?" she asked the Doctor and Clara, who were watching her.

"No, I'm not really a cat person," the Doctor said. "Once you've been threatened by one in a nun's wimple, it kind of takes the joy out of it."

The Doctor looked away and asked Clara, "So am I really a beautiful boy?" He smirked.

"Absolutely," she said, touching his cheek. He grinned at her and then bent down and kissed her. They were cut short though, when Rose urgently called, "Doctor! Clara!"

The first thing Clara noticed when they hurried over to Rose was the strong smell of metal.

"Oh, my gosh," she exclaimed, holding her arm up to her nose.

"Whoa! Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!" the Doctor said, backing off.

"That really stinks," Clara said.

"Iron residue," the Doctor said, trying to wave the smell away with his hand and picked up the empty cardboard box. "Blimey! That takes some doing! Just to snatch a living organism out of space/time. This baby is just like, 'I'm 'avin' some of that'-I'm impressed."

"So the cat's been transported?" Rose asked.

"Looks like it," Clara said.

"It can harness huge reserves of ionic power," the Doctor said. "We need to find the source of that power. Find the source and you will find...whatever has taken to stealing children and fluffy animals. See what you can see. Keep 'em peeled, Lewis. You too, Clark."

Clara rolled her eyes as the Doctor wandered off. Rose went off one way, so Clara went down the other. She walked in front of each house, hands behind her back like the Doctor sometimes did, and sniffed around for the metal smell. She made mental notes every time she even caught a whiff, but couldn't really trace it.

Down the street from her, she heard a shriek and went running towards it. Rose was on the ground with the Doctor running towards her. There was a ball of...well, Clara didn't even know _what_ it was. It looked like a ball of wires, all in a tangle, but she couldn't be sure.

"Stay still!" the Doctor shouted.

"What the bloody-?" Clara asked, as the Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at the giant scribble. It convulsed and turned into a small ball, which fell into Rose's outstretched hand.

The Doctor stood over Rose and held out his hand to help him up and said, "Okey dokey?"

"Yeah, cheers," Rose said.

"No probs," the Doctor said. Clara just rolled her eye at their child-like antics as they hugged before looking at the item in Rose's hand. "I'll give you both a fiver if either of you can tell me what the hell it is. 'Cos I haven't got the foggiest."

"Well, I can tell you you've just killed it," Rose said.

"It was never living," the Doctor said, taking it from her. "It's animated by energy. Same energy that's snatching people." He threw it up and down in the air, seeming delighted by it. "That is so dinky! The Go-Anywhere creature. Fits in your pocket...makes friends, impress the boss...breaks the ice at parties..."

Clara laughed as he put the thing in his pocket and the three of them moved off. They went back to the TARDIS, where the Doctor put the odd object onto the console for analyzing it.

"Oh—hi ho, here we go," the Doctor said. "Let's have a look."

The Doctor, Rose, and Clara gathered around the computer screen, which was displaying Gallifreyan symbols.

"Get out of here..." the Doctor said, surprised.

"What's it say?" Rose asked.

The Doctor didn't answer, but took a pencil from his pocket and held the object out in front of him. He used the rubber eraser and rubbed out part of the object.

"It is!" the Doctor exclaimed, blowing on it. "It's graphite! Basically the same material as an HB pencil."

"A pencil?" Clara asked, confused.

"I was attacked by a...pencil scribble?" Rose asked.

"Scribble creature," the Doctor said, sniffing it, then let Rose and Clara sniff it.

"It smells like metal," Clara said.

The Doctor nodded and said, "Brought into being with ionic energy. Whatever we're dealing with, it can create things as well as take them. But...why make a scribble creature?!"

"Maybe it was a mistake...I mean, you scribble over something when you wanna get rid of it," Rose said.

"I would just erase it," Clara said.

"It's like a um...like a drawing. Like a...a child's drawing," Rose said.

"That would make sense," Clara said. "Kids _would_ just scribble."

"You said it was in the street," Rose said, and the Doctor glanced at her.

"Probably..." the Doctor said.

"The girl," Rose said.

"Of COURSE!" the Doctor shouted, as if he knew. "What girl?"

"Something about her gave me the creeps...even her own mum looked scared of her," Rose said.

"Are you deducting?" the Doctor asked.

"I think I am," Rose said.

"Copper's hunch?" the Doctor asked.

"Permission to follow it up, sarge," Rose said.

"Real funny," Clara said, rolling her eyes at them. They were like five year old sibling some times.

They went up to Trish's house, where Rose had seen the little girl in the window. Clara pressed the doorbell, but there was nothing, so the Doctor decided to start rapping on the letter box. Trish opened the door and the three of them gave her friendly smiles.

"Hello! I'm the Doctor and this is Rose and Clara. Can we see your daughter?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

"No! You can't," Trish said.

"Okay! Bye," the Doctor said, and they all turned, walking away in silence, just waiting.

"Why?" Trish asked.

The three of them turned in unison.

"Why do you want to see Chloe?" Trish asked.

"Well, there's some interesting stuff going on in this street, and I just thought—well, we thought—that she might like to give us a hand," the Doctor said.

"Sorry to bother you," Rose said.

"We won't do it again," Clara said.

"Yeah, sorry," the Doctor said. "We'll let you get on with things. On your own. Bye again!"

They turned and walked away again, but Trish didn't close the door. After a moment, she hollered out.

"Wait!" she said.

They all turned again. Clara wanted to help the poor lady just by the look on her face, which was a look of helplessness.

"Can you help her?" Trish asked.

The Doctor smiled and said, "Yes, I can."

Clara and Rose made themselves comfortable on the couch, as the Doctor flung his coat down next to Clara. The Olympic Torch Bearer was on the TV and the announcer was saying something about him running in front of the mall.

"She stays in her room, most of the time," Trish said. "I try talking to her, but it's like trying to speak to a brick wall. She give me nothing, just asks to be left alone."

"What about Chloe's dad?" Rose asked.

"Chloe's dad died a year ago," Trish said.

"I'm sorry," Rose said.

"You wouldn't be if you'd known him," Trish said.

"Well!" the Doctor said brightly, changing the subject. "Let's go and say hi!"

"I should check on her first...she might be asleep," Trish said hesitantly.

"Why are you afraid of her, Trish?" the Doctor asked.

"I want you to know before you see her that's she's really a great kid," Trish said.

"I'm sure she is," the Doctor said.

"She's never been in trouble at school...you should see her report from last year. A's and B's," Trish said.

"Can I use your loo?" Rose asked as Trish smiled proudly at Clara and Clara returned the smile. Clara looked at Rose suspiciously as she left the room.

"She's in the choir..." Trish said to the Doctor and Clara. "She's signing in an old folks home. Any mum would be proud. You know...I want you to know these things before you see her, Doctor, Clara. Because right now, she's not herself."

Clara noticed the little girl going past the living room into the kitchen and nudged the Doctor. He got up with Clara right behind him and poked his head around the corner of the kitchen.

"All right, there?" the Doctor asked.

Chloe was drinking milk from the fridge, so the Doctor walked right into the kitchen, with Clara and Trish right behind him.

"I'm the Doctor," he said to her, as she put the milk back in the fridge.

"I'm Chloe Webber," Chloe said, facing them.

"How're you doing, Chloe Webber?" the Doctor said.

"I'm busy," Chloe said. "I'm making something. Aren't I, mum?"

"And like I said, she's not been sleeping," Trish said.

"But you've been drawing, though," the Doctor said. "I'm rubbish. Stick men are about my limit. Can do this, though..." He split his fingers like Spock in Star Trek for 'live long and prosper.'

"Can you do that?" the Doctor asked Chloe as her face was expressionless.

"Like this, Chloe," Clara said, trying to do what the Doctor did. "Ah! I can't do it!" It was like literally impossible for her to do it. Trish nodded at Chloe, encouraging her to do something.

"They don't stop moaning," Chloe said randomly.

"Chloe..." Trish said.

"I try to help them, but they don't stop moaning," Chloe said.

"Who don't?" the Doctor asked quietly, lowering his hand.

"We can be together," Chloe said.

"Sweetheart-" Trish said, moving towards her.

"Don't touch me, mum," Chloe said. Clara glanced at the Doctor, worried. "I'm busy...Doctor."

She left the room and the Doctor called after her.

"Oh, come on, Chloe! Don't be a spoil sport!" he said, following her into the hallway. "What's the big project? I'm dying to know! What're you making up there?"

"Doctor! Clara!" Rose cried from upstairs, terrified.

The Doctor lunged forward, with Clara right on his heels. Rose was staring into the wardrobe in the room, as if transfixed by it when the Doctor and Clara ran into the room.

"I'm coming to hurt you..." a creepy voice said and the Doctor slammed the wardrobe doors shut without glancing inside.

"Look at it," Rose said to him and Clara.

"No, ta," the Doctor said.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Rose," Clara said, pulling her away from the wardrobe as the Doctor walked to looked at the drawings on the wall, putting on his brainy specs.

"What the hell was that?" Trish asked.

"A drawing. The face of a man," Rose said.

"What face?" Trish asked. She tried to open the doors, but Rose rammed herself up against them, stopping her.

"Best not," Rose said.

"What've you been drawing?" Trish asked Chloe.

"I drew him yesterday," Chloe said.

"Who?" Trish asked.

"Dad," Chloe said.

"Your dad?" Trish asked, surprised and upset. "But he's long gone. Chloe, with all the lovely things in the world—why him?"

"I dream about him, staring at me," Chloe said.

"I thought we were putting him behind us," Trish said. "What's the matter with you?"

"We need to stay together," Chloe said.

"Yes, we do," Trish said.

"No," Chloe said. "Not you. Us. We need to stay together. And then it'll be all right."

Trish went over to her daughter and put her hands on her cheeks and Chloe flinched.

"Trish, the drawings—have you seen what Chloe's drawings can do?" Rose asked.

"Who gave you permission to come into her room? Get out of my house," Trish said coldly.

"Tell us about the drawings, Chloe," the Doctor said.

"I don't wanna hear any more of this," Trish said.

"But that drawing of her dad...I heard a voice. He spoke," Rose said.

"He's dead," Trish said. "And these—they're kids pictures. Now get out!"

"Chloe has a power," Rose said. "And I don't know how, but she used it to take Danny Edwards. Dale Hicks—she's using it to snatch the kids."

"She needs our help," Clara tried to explain.

"Get out," Trish said.

"Have you seen those drawings move?" Rose asked pleadingly.

"I haven't seen anything," Trish said derisively.

"Yes, you have," the Doctor said. "Out of the corner of your eye."

"The place you never want to look," Clara said.

"No," Trish said, turning to the Doctor.

"And you dismissed it, because what choice do you have when you see something you can't possibly explain?" the Doctor said, moving towards Trish. "You dismiss it, right? And if anyone mentions it, you get angry, so it's never spoken of, ever ag-"

"She's a child-" Trish interrupted.

"And you're terrified of her," the Doctor said. "But there's no one to turn to, because who's gonna believe the things you see out of the corner of your eye? No one. Except me."

"Who are you?" Trish asked.

"I'm help," the Doctor said.

They left Chloe in her room and went back down to the kitchen where the Doctor took a jar of marmalade off the counter top, unscrewed the lid, and dipped his fingers into it. Clara cleared her throat as he started sucking the jam off his fingers and she and Rose shook their heads at him. He looked like a kid that had their hand caught in the cookie jar and put the lid back on and pushed the jar behind him.

"Those pictures—they're alive," Rose said. "She's drawing people and they end up in her pictures."

"Ionic energy," the Doctor said. "Chloe's harnessing it to steal those kids and place them in some kind of holding-pen made up of ionic power."

"And what about the dad from hell in her wardrobe?" Rose asked.

"How many times to I have to tell you? He's dead," Trish said.

"Well, he's got a very loud voice for a dead bloke," Rose said, disbelieving.

"If living things can become drawings, then maybe drawings can become living things..." the Doctor said, thinking.

"Like the scribble," Clara said.

The Doctor suddenly shivered violently, making Rose and Clara jump.

"Chloe's real dad is dead, but not the one who visits her in her nightmares. That dad seems very real," the Doctor said. "That's the dad she's drawn and he's a heartbeat away from crashing into this world..."

"She always get the worst of it when he was alive," Trish said.

"Doctor, how can a twelve-year-old girl be doing any of this?" Rose asked.

"Alien tech?" Clara asked.

"Let's find out," the Doctor said after a pause.

The Doctor, Clara, Rose, and Trish went back up to Chloe's bedroom. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed. When the Doctor went over to her, she didn't say anything, but copied his 'live long and prosper' sign.

"Nice one," the Doctor said, kneeling in front of her, holding her head in his hands, fingers on her temples. Her eyes rolled up for a moment, before they closed. He closed his own eyes and then Chloe suddenly fell backwards onto her bed.

"There we go..." the Doctor said.

"I can't let him do this—" Trish said, concerned.

"Shh, it's okay," Rose said, stopping her. "Trust him."

"It'll be fine, he's a pro," Clara added.

The Doctor straightened up and addressed Chloe, "Now we can talk."

When Chloe spoke, it wasn't her normal voice. It was a strange whisper and it obviously wasn't her.

"I want Chloe. Wake her up. I want Chloe," she said.

"Who are you?" the Doctor asked.

"I want Chloe Webber!" she said with passion.

"What've you done to my little girl?" Trish asked, upset.

"Doctor, what is it?" Rose asked.

The Doctor slowly walked around the bed, all while looking down at Chloe.

"I'm speaking to you," he said to 'Chloe.' "The entity that is using this human child. I request parlez in compliance with the Shadow Proclamation."

"I don't care about shadows or parlez," she said.

"So what do you care about?" the Doctor asked.

"I want my friends," 'Chloe' said.

"You're lonely, I know," the Doctor said, kneeling by her again. "Identify yourself."

"I am one of many," she said. "I travel with my brothers and sisters. We take an endless journey. A thousand of your lifetimes. But now I am alone. I hate it. It's not fair. And I hate it!"

Her eyes snapped open and the Doctor said, "Name yourself!"

"Isolus," she said.

"You're Isolus," the Doctor said, as if it explained everything. "Of course."

"Our journey began in the Deep Realms when we were a family," 'Chloe' said, drawing on a piece of paper next to her on the bed.

"What's that?" Trish asked, looking at the drawing.

"The Isolus Mother, drifting in Deep Space," the Doctor said, standing up. "See, she jettisons millions of fledgling spores. Her children. The Isolus are empathic beings of intense emotions, but when they're cast off from their mother, their empathic link, their need for each other, is what sustains them. They need to be together. They cannot be alone."

"Our journey is long," 'Chloe' said.

"The Isolus children travel, each inside a pod. They ride the heat and energy of solar tides. It takes thousands and thousands of years for them to grow up," the Doctor said.

"Thousands of years just floating through space...poor things—don't they go mad with boredom?" Rose asked.

"We play," 'Chloe' said.

"You...play?" Rose said.

The Doctor sat down on the edge of the bed and said, "Mm. While in travel, they play games. They use their ionic power to literally create make-believe worlds in which to play."

"In-flight entertainment," Rose said.

"Sounds like something children would do," Clara said.

The Doctor nodded and said, "Helps keep them happy. While they're happy, they can feed off each others love. Without it, they're lost. Why did you come to Earth?"

"We were too close," 'Chloe' said, staring a new drawing for them.

"That's a solar flare from your sun," the Doctor said, looking at the drawing. "Would've made a tidal wave of solar energy that scattered the Isolus pods."

"Only I fell to Earth. My brothers and sisters are left up there. And I cannot reach them. So alone," she said.

"Your pod crashed...where is it?" the Doctor asked.

"My pod was drawn to heat..." she said. "And I was drawn to Chloe Webber. She was like me. Alone. She needed me. And I her."

The Doctor stroked her head and said, "You empathized with her. You wanted to be with her because she was along like you."

"I want my family. It's not fair," Chloe said. Clara looked at the little girl that had an alien in her and felt sorry for it.

"I understand," the Doctor said. "You wanna make a family. But you can't stay in this child. It's wrong. You can't steal any more friends for yourself."

"I am alone," 'Chloe' said. There was a thump from the wardrobe and Trish gasped.

"I'm coming to hurt you," the voice said that was 'Chloe's dad.'

Chloe started to shake and tremble with fear and the door of the wardrobe was pounding.

"I'm coming," the voice said.

"Trish, how do you calm her?" the Doctor asked.

Chloe's body was jerking, as though she was having a seizure.

"What?!" Trish asked.

"When she has nightmares, what do you do?" the Doctor asked.

"I...I..." Trish said.

"What do you do?" the Doctor asked urgently.

"I sing to her," Trish said.

"Then start singing," the Doctor said, motioning for Trish to come over. Trish took his place next to Chloe.

"Chloe...I'm coming," her dad said.

Trish started singing, "Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree, merry merry king of the bush is he..."

"Chloe...Chloe..."

The banging on the door of the wardrobe continued. Clara looked at it, concerned.

"Chloe...Chloe..."

"Laugh, Kookaburra laugh, Kookaburra, gay your life must be," Trish continued singing. The voice was fading, until it was gone. "Laugh, Kookaburra laugh, Kookaburra, gay your life must be."

Chloe was now asleep and Trish said, "He came to her because she was lonely...Chloe, I'm sorry..."

She buried her head in Chloe's shoulder, sobbing. A few minutes later, Trish got up with a determined look in her eye and went down to the sitting room where she started gathering up all the pencils that were lying around.

"Chloe usually got the brunt of his temper," Trish said. "When he'd had a drink. The day he crashed the car, I thought we were free."

Rose handed her a bunch of pencils that she picked up.

"I thought it was over," Trish said.

"Did you talk to her about it?" Rose asked.

"I didn't want to," Trish said.

"That was probably a mistake," Clara said.

"Maybe that's why Chloe feels so alone," Rose said, sitting down. "'Cos she has all these terrible dreams about her dad, but she can't talk to you about them."

"Her and the Isolus...two lonely kids who need each other," the Doctor said.

"And it won't stop, will it, Doctor?" Rose asked. "It'll just keep pulling kids in."

"It's desperate to be loved. It's used to a pretty big family," the Doctor said.

"How big?" Rose asked.

"Say around...four billion?" the Doctor said.

"What?!" Clara exclaimed, as Rose and Trish were stunned into silence. "But that many people...that's nearly the whole world!"

"Exactly," the Doctor said, as he pulled on his coat, as they left the house. "We need that pod."

"It crashed—won't it be destroyed?" Rose asked.

"Well, it's been sucking in all the heat it can...hopefully that should keep it in a fit state to launch," the Doctor said. "It must be close. It should have a weak energy signature that the TARDIS can trace. Once we find it, then we can stop the Isolus."

The went to the TARDIS so the Doctor could trace for the pod.

"We can scan for the same trace we picked up from the scribble creature. Just need to widen the field a bit," he said.

Clara followed the Doctor and Rose into the TARDIS and sat down on the pilot's chair as the Doctor fumbled with some strange device. Rose sat down next to her.

"You knew the Isolus was lonely before it told you," Rose said. "How?"

The Doctor walked over and shoved Rose and Clara off the chair to sit on it himself. Clara glared at him up off of the floor.

"I know what it's like to travel a long way on your own," the Doctor finally said, and Clara's gaze softened. "Give me the stina magnetic erm...thing in your left hand!"

"Thing?" Clara asked, getting off the floor.

"Sounds like you're on its side," Rose said, while handing him the 'thing' in her left hand.

"I sympathize, that's all," the Doctor said, holding the device between his legs.

"The Isolus has caused a lot of pain for these people," Rose said.

"It's a child!" the Doctor said, blowing on the device. "That's why it wen to Chloe, two lonely mixed up kids."

"Like all kids, it needs to be taught, sounds like," Clara said.

"Hmm...feels to me like a temper tantrum because it can't get its own way," Rose said.

"It's scared!" the Doctor said. "Come on, you were a kid once. Binary dot."

Rose handed him the binary dot and said, "Yes! And I know what kids can be like. Right little...terrors."

"That's probably because you were one," Clara teased.

"Oi! Shut it!" Rose said.

"Gum," the Doctor said, holding his hand out underneath Rose's mouth and she spat it out.

"I've got cousins other than Clara. Kids can't have it all their own way. That's part of being a family," Rose said.

"What about trying to understand them?" the Doctor asked, sticking the gum to the device.

"She never bothered," Clara said.

"Easy for you to say," Rose said to the Doctor, turning to him with a smile. "You don't have kids."

"I was a dad once," the Doctor said in an off-hand kind of way.

"What?" Clara asked, shocked.

"What did you say?" Rose asked, equally shocked. The Doctor didn't reply to either of them.

"I think we're there!" the Doctor said, standing and going to the console. "Fear. Loneliness. They're the big ones, Rose. Some of the most terrible acts ever committed have been inspired by them. We're not dealing with something that wants to conquer or destroy."

The Doctor seemed oblivious to Rose and Clara, who were still stunned at what he had said.

"There's a lot of things you need to get across the universe," he said. "Warp drives...wormhole refractors...You know the thing you need most of all? You need a hand to hold."

The Doctor had noticed Rose's outstretched hand and took it, grinning.

"No! Look, I'm pointing," Rose said, laughing, pointing at the computer screen. There was a flashing light on the screen that indicated where the pod was in the neighborhood.

"It's the pod!" the Doctor said, excited. "It's in the street! Everything's coming up, Doctor!"

He went off to the doors.

"He had _kids_?" Clara said to Rose, still reeling. Rose just shrugged her shoulders, still stunned also, and followed after the Doctor, with Clara right behind her.

The Doctor shut the TARDIS doors behind him and said, "Okay. It's about two inches across. Dull gray, like gulls egg. Very light."

"So these pods—they travel from sun to sun using heat, yeah?" Rose asked. "So it's not all about love and stuff. Doesn't the pod just need heat?"

Clara was looking at the Doctor, trying to picture him a dad, but couldn't. Suddenly, the Doctor disappeared right in front of her eyes.

"Rose!" she cried, at the same time the device he had been holding fell to the ground, shattering. Rose spun around, eyes widened in shock.

"Doctor?" Rose called.

"The TARDIS is gone, too!" Clara cried.

"Doctor?" Rose called again.

"He's just gone!" Clara exclaimed.

"Chloe!" Rose said, eyes open in realization.

The girls took off to Trish's house and knocked on the door frantically. Trish opened the door and Rose and Clara both barged past her and ran up the stairs.

"It's okay!" Trish said, following them. "I've taken all the pencils off her!"

"I don't think so," Clara said.

Rose and Clara burst into Chloe's room. They both crossed the room to the desk where Chloe was sitting and Rose snatched the paper the Chloe was drawing on the Clara saw the TARDIS and the Doctor over Rose's shoulder.

"Leave me alone!" 'Chloe' said with the Isolus' voice. "I want to be with Chloe Webber! I love Chloe Webber!"

"Bring him back, now," Rose demanded.

"No," Chloe said.

Rose turned away, head in hands, while Clara stared at the paper in shock. Rose suddenly spun around and grabbed Chloe by the shoulders.

"Rose!" Clara exclaimed.

"Don't you realize what you've done?" Rose asked viciously. "He was the only one who could help you, now bring him back!"

"Leave me alone! I love Chloe Webber!" the Isolus said.

"I know," Rose said gently, her face softened. "I know."

Rose looked at the drawing and said, "Doctor, if you can hear me, Clara and I are gonna get you out of there. We'll find the pod."

She turned to Trish and said, "Don't leave her alone, no matter what."

Rose left the room with Clara right on her heels.

"Okay, heat. They travel on heat," Rose said.

"Could be anywhere," Clara said.

"Look at this finish," Kel said, smoothing down the road outside with his hand. "Smooth as a baby's bottom."

Rose and Clara hurried over to him.

"Not a bump or a lump," Kel said.

"Kel, was there anything in this street in the last few days giving off a lot of heat?" Rose asked, crouching next to him.

"I mean, you can eat your dinner off this," Kel said, not really listening to Rose. "Beautiful. So you tell me why the other one's got a lump in it when I gave it the same love and craftsmanship I did this one!"

"Well, when you've worked it out, put it in a big book about tarmacking, but before you do that—think back six days," Rose said.

"Can you remember anything six days ago?" Clara asked.

"Six days...When I was laying this the first time round!" Kel said, remembering.

"What?" Rose asked.

"Well, that's when I filled in this pothole for the first time," Kel said.

"Six days ago..." Rose said.

"Heat!" Clara said.

"Hot fresh tar..." Rose said, nodding.

"Blended to a secret council recipe," Kel said.

Rose stood and ran to Kel's van.

"Ah—ah! I don't keep it in the van!" Kel said. Rose wrenched the door open anyway, with Clara right behind him.

"Ay, that's a council van. Out," Kel said to them, striding towards them.

Rose ignored him, climbing inside and picking up an axe. She laughed kind of manically with glee when she found it and hopped out of the van.

"Whoa, wait, wait, wait, you just removed a council axe from a council van," Kel said. "Put it back. No, don't, wait—put the axe back in the van, that's my van, gimme the axe."

"I'd stand back if I were you," Clara said to him, as Rose swung the axe behind her, ready to bring it down on the road.

"No! Wait! No!" Kel shouted, as Rose brought the axe down on the road, smashing through the newly finished tarmac.

"No! You—stop!" Kel shouted, bewildered.

"Stay back!" Clara said to him, as Rose smashed into the road again.

"You just took a council axe—from a council van—and now you're digging up a council road! I'm reporting both of you to the council!" Kel said, outraged.

"Is it there?" Clara asked, as Rose scrambled around in the hole she just made for the pod. Rose held it up when she found it.

"It went for the hottest thing in the street. Your tar!" Rose said, laughing in delight.

"What is it?!" Kel asked.

"It's a spaceship! Not a council spaceship, I'm afraid," Rose said, laughing in delight.

"Right, let's go help the Doctor!" Clara said, heading back to Trish's. Rose was right behind her, and they both burst through the front door.

"We found it!" Rose said, going into the sitting room where Trish joined them. "I don't know what to do with it, but maybe the Isolus will just hop on board. Hang on, I told you not to leave her!"

Clara's eyes widened with realization that Trish was not with Chloe.

"My gosh!" the commentator on the television said. "Er—what's going on here?"

Clara turned her attention to the TV where the crowds that had been watching the Olympics had just vanished. Kel appeared in the room behind them.

"I don't care if you've got Snow White and the Seven Dwarves buried under there, you don't go digging up-"

"Shh!" Clara hissed.

"Shut up and look!" Rose said, pointing at the TV.

"The crowd has vanished. Er—um...they're gone. Everyone has gone. Thousands of people have just gone. Er...um...right in front of my eyes. Um...it's impossible! Bob, can we join you, um, in the box?" the Commentator asked. There was silence and the footage cut to an empty box. "Bob? Not you, too, Bob?"

"It was Chloe!" Clara said in shock.

"The stadium won't be enough," Rose said. "The Isolus has four billion brothers and sisters."

Rose was still holding the axe as she and Clara rushed upstairs to Chloe's room. Rose tried the handle, but something was in the way.

"Chloe?" Trish asked.

"Chloe, it's Rose and Clara! Open the door!" Rose said urgently. "We found your ship! We can send you home!"

"Chloe?!" Trish said.

"Please open the door," Clara said.

"Open up!" Rose said. She said to Trish and Clara, "Right, stand back."

Trish and Clara both took a couple of steps back in alarm as Rose swung the axe, crashing it down on the door. The wood began to splinter as Rose hit it again and again with the axe. Making a hole in the door, Rose reached through and knocked the chair that had been blocking the door and rushed into the room.

"Chloe!" Rose said.

"I'm coming to hurt you..." Chloe's dad said. Chloe was now coloring in the land of Earth green.

"I'm coming..."

"I've gotta stop her," Rose said. She stepped forward, but the wardrobe rattled violently and she stepped back.

"If you stop Chloe Webber, I will let him out. We will let him out together. I cannot be alone. It's not fair," the Isolus said.

Rose held the pod out to her and said, "Look, I've got your pod."

"The pod is dead," 'Chloe' said.

"It—it only needs heat," Rose said.

"It needs more than heat," Chloe said.

"What, then?" Rose asked desperately.

"I'm not being funny or nothing, but that picture just moved," Kel said, who just joined them. He then pointed at the drawing of the Doctor and the TARDIS. "And that one!"

"What is it?" Clara asked, as Rose picked up the drawing. There was a sketch of the Olympic Torch next to the Doctor and he was pointing to it.

"She didn't draw that," Rose said. "He did. But it needs more than heat, Doctor."

"But if we throw the pod into the torch..." Clara thought out loud.

"It's much more than a torch now, it's a beacon," the Commentator on the television said, as the athlete ran along the road. "It's a beacon of hope and fortitude and courage. And it's a beacon of love."

"Love," Rose said with realization.

"Heat and love?" Clara said.

"So, let's have a look from the helicopter—there we go, the torch running..." the Commentator said.

"I know how to charge up the pod," Rose said, leaving with Clara right behind her. They jogged down the street where there were a lot of people at the end, watching and cheering as the torch bearer ran past. Rose and Clara joined them, squeezing through them to the front, but a policeman stopped them.

"Sorry, you'll have to watch from here," the policeman said.

"No, we've gotta get closer..." Rose said.

"No way!" the policeman said.

"We can stop this from happening," Rose said.

"We can help," Clara said.

As the torch bearer ran past, the pod began to chirp.

"You felt it, didn't you?" Rose asked Clara and the pod, as they backed out of the crowd. Rose brought out her cupped hands that were holding the pod and brought them closer to her mouth, whispering to it.

"I _heard_ it," Clara said.

Rose threw the pod into the air and it is drawn to the torch. Clara smiled hugely as the torch bearer staggered slightly as the pod fell into the flames, but dismissed it. Rose jumped up and down with joy, hugging Clara, who also jumped.

"Yes!" Rose said.

"We did it!" Clara said.

Heading back, they ran into Kel. Rose threw her arms around him.

"You did it!" Kel said, confused. "What was it you did?"

Rose just grabbed him again, spinning him around, giggling and bouncing up and down. Clara was also beaming with joy.

"Look at that, Rose!" Clara said, as the children that had been taken suddenly reappeared from where they had disappeared. Both the girls beamed.

"Doctor..." Rose said quietly.

"Yeah, where is he?" Clara asked.

Clara jumped when Rose did when Maeve touched her arm.

"I don't know who you two are, or what you did, but thank you, darlings!" Maeve said, kissing first Rose's cheek, then Clara's. Rose laughed at Clara's shocked face. "And thank that man for me, too!"

"Where is he?" Rose said, as Maeve walked away. "He should be here."

"I don't know," Clara said, saddened by that fact.

"All the drawings have come to life," Rose said. "That means all of them."

"It's odd..." Clara said.

"Oh, no," Rose said, running towards Trish's house. A red light was coming from Chloe's room and there was the sound of Chloe's Dad, growling. Clara followed Rose to the front door and they both started banging on it.

"Trish, get out!" Rose called urgently through the door.

"Hurry!" Clara shouted.

"I can't! The door's stuck!" Trish said.

"Is the Doctor there?" Rose asked.

"I don't think so!" Trish said.

"Mummy..." Chloe said from the other side of the door, scared.

"Chloe, I'm coming to hurt you..." Chloe's Dad said.

"Please, dad. No more," Chloe said.

"Chloe..." her dad said.

"Chloe, listen to me," Rose said, speaking fast. "It isn't real like the others. It's just energy left over by the Isolus, but you can get rid of it-"

"Help us!" Trish said, banging on the door.

"Mummy!" Chloe cried out.

"You can do it, Chloe!" Rose said.

"I can't!" Chloe said.

"Yes, you can, Chloe!" Clara said.

"Chloe...I'm coming..."

"I can't," Chloe said.

"Mummy..." Chloe said.

"Chloe..."

"I'm with you, Chloe," Trish said. "You're not alone. You'll never be alone again."

"Sing again! Chloe, sing!" Rose said, pounding on the door.

"Chloe..." her dad said.

"Chloe...Chloe...Chloe...Chloe, I'm coming to hurt you."

Clara could hear Trish and Chloe singing their Kookaburra song and Chloe's dad's voice became weaker.

"...Merry, merry king of the bush is he..." Chloe and Trish both sang.

Rose sighed with relief as Chloe's dad disappeared altogether. She sank to the ground and Clara followed suit, sagging with relief.

"They did it," Clara said, smiling.

Kel walked up to the two of them and said, "Maybe he's gone somewhere," he said about the Doctor.

"Who's gonna hold his hand now?" Rose asked, looking at her cousin, worried.

"I know he's out there, somewhere," Clara said, smiling slightly.

The three of them, Clara, Rose, and Kel, enter the now open house and find Trish and Chloe on the couch, watching TV.

"They've returned. They've returned. It's quite incredible. Bob, this will certainly..." the Commentator said.

"Eighty thousand people, so where's the Doctor...?" Rose said.

"The torch bearer seems to be in a bit of trouble," the Commentator said. "We did see a flash of lightening earlier which seemed to strike him...erm, maybe he's injured...he's definitely in trouble."

The torch bearer collapsed on TV.

"Does this mean that the Olympic Dream is dead?" the Commentator asked.

Clara grinned hugely as a familiar arm picked up the dropped torch. The Doctor started to run with the torch alongside the crowds.

"That's my Doctor," Clara said, laughing.

"There's a mystery man—he's picked up the flame...we've no idea who he is...erm...he's carrying the flame, yes! He's carrying the flame and no one wants to stop him," the Commentator said. Everyone in the room laughed in relief. "It's more than a flame now, Bob. It's more than heat and light. It's hope. And it's courage. And it's love."

On the TV, the Doctor ran up the red carpet stairs with the torch, the spot light following him. He faced the crowd with a huge grin on his face. He lit the Olympic Flame and the crowd went crazy.

About an hour later, Rose and Clara both snuck up behind the Doctor, Rose holding a piece of cake that had the little edible silver ball bearings on it.

"Cake?" Rose asked him and he laughed.

"Top banana!" the Doctor said, taking it.

"Top banana?" Clara mouthed at Rose and they both grinned hugely.

"Mm. I can't stress this enough. Ball bearings you can eat—masterpiece!" the Doctor said.

Clara grinned as Rose couldn't take it anymore and threw both of her arms around the Doctor.

"Ooh, I thought we'd lost you," Rose said, as Clara then embraced her Doctor.

"Nah! Not on a night like this! This is a night for lost things being found. Come on!" the Doctor said and the three of them walked down the street together.

"What now?" Rose asked.

"I wanna go to the games! What we came for!" the Doctor said.

"Sounds good to me," Clara said, smiling.

"Go on—give us a clue—which events do we do well in?" Rose asked.

The Doctor took a bite of cake and then said with his mouth full of food, "Well, I will tell you this; Papua New Guinea surprises everyone in the shot put."

"Really?" Rose asked. "You're joking, aren't you? Doctor, are you serious or are you joking?"

"Wait and see!" the Doctor said.

"Like he'd actually say," Clara said, bumping shoulders with him. He put his arm around her as fireworks went off above them.

"You know what? They keep trying to split the three of us up, but they never ever will," Rose said.

The Doctor stopped and looked at her and said, "Never say never ever."

"Nah," Rose said with confidence. "We'll always be okay, you and me and Clara. Don't you reckon, Doctor?"

The Doctor looked up at the sky for a moment, then said, "Something in the air. Something coming."

"What?" Rose said.

"What's coming?" Clara asked, confused.

"A storm's approaching," the Doctor said.

Rose looked at him and shivered, as did Clara.


	26. Army of Ghosts

**Army of Ghosts**

Knowing it was time to visit Jackie again, the Doctor materialized the TARDIS in a children's play ground. Both Clara and Rose had a bag over their shoulders, needing laundry done, and stepped out of the TARDIS with the Doctor right behind them.

They were outside Jackie's flat at Powell Estate when Rose cried out, "Mum, it's us! We're ba-ack!"

Jackie was rushing out of the kitchen when the Doctor, Rose, and Clara entered the flat.

"Oh, I don't know why you bother with that phone! You never use it!" Jackie said, exasperated and pleased at the same time.

"Shut up, come here!" Rose said, grinning. They threw their arms around each other.

"Oh, I love you!" Jackie exclaimed.

"I love you!" Rose said.

Jackie then grabbed Clara, squeezing her tightly.

"I love you both so MUCH!" Jackie exclaimed. The Doctor squeezed past them, trying to sneak off, but Jackie spotted him.

"Oh, no you don't," Jackie said, grabbing him. "Come here!"

Clara snorted and then burst out laughing as Jackie pulled him towards her and planted a big one on him, despite his protests.

"Oh, you lovely big fella! Oh, you're all mine!" Jackie said, hugging him.

"Just—just—just put me down!" the Doctor said.\

"Yes, you are!" Jackie said, kissing him again, then walked off. Clara was having a fit of giggles as the Doctor wiped off his mouth with the back of his hand, looking like a little boy who had an over-affectionate mother. Clara was still giggling like mad as they went into the sitting room with Rose. The Doctor just gave her a look.

"We've got LOADS of washing for ya!" Rose said, dumping her bag into Jackie's arms. "And—I got you this!"

She showed Jackie the tiny bottle she had picked up from a trip.

"It's from the market on this asteroid bazaar. It's made of, um...what's it called?"

"Bezoolium," the Doctor said, flicking through magazines from the coffee table.

"Bezoolium," Rose repeated. "When it gets cold, yeah, it means it's gonna rain—when it's hot, it's gonna be sunny! You can use it to tell the weather!"

"I've got a surprise for you all," Jackie said.

"Oh, I get her bezoolium—she doesn't even say 'thanks'," Rose said.

"Oh, stop your moaning," Clara said.

"Guess who's coming to visit? You're just in time—he'll be here at ten past! Who do you think it is?" Jackie said.

"I don't know," Rose said.

"Oh, go on, guess!" Jackie said.

"No, I hate guessing. Just tell me," Rose said.

"It's your grandad. Grandad Prentice," Jackie said, much to Clara's surprise. "He's on his way. Any minute! Right, cup of tea!"

"She's out of her mind!" Clara said, after Jackie went back into the kitchen.

"She's gone mad," Rose said.

"Tell me something new," the Doctor said, appearing over their shoulders and staring after Jackie.

"Grandad Prentice—that's her dad. But he died like, ten years ago. Oh, my gosh. She's lost it!" Rose said. "Mum?"

The three of them stood in the kitchen doorway.

"What you just said about grandad..." Rose said.

"It isn't possible," Clara said.

"Any second now," Jackie said.

"But...he passed away," Rose said gently. "His heart gave out. Do you remember that?"

"Course I do!" Jackie said.

"...Then how can he come back?" Rose asked.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Jackie said, checking her watch. "Ten past. Here he comes."

Right before their eyes, and much to Clara's disbelief, a figure stepped out of nowhere in the middle of the kitchen. It was like a shadow, with no features, but had a humanoid shape.

"Here we are, then!" Jackie said.

Clara stood there with her mouth hanging open.

"Dad...say hello to Rose and Clara," Jackie said. "Haven't they grown?"

The Doctor took off running with Clara and Rose, who were quite bewildered, chasing after him. The three of them burst through a side door at a run. Clara screeched to a stop, looking around.

"They're everywhere!" the Doctor said, also stopping, as did Rose.

There were shadowy ghosts everywhere they looked, standing around like they were ordinary people. None of the people going about their business seemed to be alarmed by the sight of them, but they all went about their lives as normal. Rose turned to look at the Doctor and Clara, then said, "Doctor, look out!"

A ghost walked right through the Doctor. He had a look of discomfort on his face, but he appeared to be unharmed.

Jackie joined them and said, "They haven't got long. Midday shift only lasts a couple of minutes. They're about to fade."

"What do you mean, SHIFT?" the Doctor asked. "Since when did ghosts have shifts? Since when did shifts have ghosts. What's going on?"

"Oh, he's not happy when I know more than him, is he?" Jackie asked, clearly loving the fact.

"Nope," Clara said, still bewildered.

"But no one's running or screaming or freaking out or-" the Doctor said, turning about, baffled.

"Why should we?" Jackie asked, then checked her watch. "Here we go. Twelve minutes past."

The ghosts suddenly disappeared, much like they had appeared. Quickly.

"I don't get it," Clara said, her eyes wide, as the four of them headed back to Jackie's flat.

"I need to know more," the Doctor said, determined.

"Oh, there's this program on now," Jackie said. "Called '_Ghostwatch_.' Gives us all the news we need about the ghosts."

"We'll start there," the Doctor said, then sat on the floor in front of the tellie.

Clara made herself comfortable on the sofa with Jackie, while Rose sat on the arm.

"On today's _Ghostwatch_, claims that some of the ghosts are starting to talk, and there seems to be a regular formation gathering around Westminster Bridge," the Presenter said.

It then showed footage of the ghosts wandering around Westminster Bridge.

"It's almost like a military display..." the Presenter said.

"What the hell's going on?" the Doctor asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

He then changed the channel to what looked like a weather report, but instead of weather symbols on screen, there were little pictures of ghosts of a map of the United Kingdom.

"And tonight, we're expecting very strong ghosts. From London, through the North and up into Scotland," the weatherman said.

The Doctor changed the channel again to the Trisha Goddard chat show, which Clara had watched before she met the Doctor. She snorted at the caption at the bottom of the screen, which read, "_I married a dead man!_'

"So, basically, Eileen, what you're telling me is, that you are in love with a ghost," Trisha said.

The other woman, Eileen, was sitting in the other chair with a ghost hovering by her.

"He's MY ghost, and I love him, 24/7!" she said tearfully. There was encouraging applause from the audience.

"Seriously?" Clara said, as the Doctor changed the channel yet again.

"Well, no one need me anymore!" a man was saying, as he changed it.

This time, it was one of those advertisements where you just wanted to say, "Really? They're really trying to sell that?"

A housewife in a flowery apron addressed the camera in her kitchen while a sad-looking animated ghost hovered by her.

"My ghost was pale and gray until I discovered...Ectoshine!" she said.

The Doctor had an expression of bewilderment on his face (not that he'd ever lost it) as he changed the channel again, this time to a French news channel.

"Et le President d'aujourd'hui, quelle est-" the newsreader said. It then went to footage of ghosts wandering around the Eiffel Tower. He changed the channel again to an Indian news channel with footage of ghosts around the Taj Mahal. Change channel to an over-enthusiastic Japanese newsreader. The Doctor put his head in his hands.

"Oh, yes!" Jackie said, as it cut to footage of three Japanese girls, all excited and screeching wildly and showing off their ghost t-shirts.

"It's all over the world," the Doctor said, changing the channel again to an episode of Eastenders. Clara's mouth dropped at the episode. It was the ONE soap opera show that both she and Jackie had watched together. Now, it was unrecognizable.

"Listen to me, Denn Watts," Peggy Mitchell said to a ghost. "I don't care if you HAVE come back from the grave. Get out of my pub! The only spirits I'm serving in this place are gin, whiskey, and vodka. So, you heard me—GET OUT!"

The Doctor finally switched off the tellie and Clara made a whimpering noise in disappointment.

The Doctor gave her a look, then said, "When did it start?"

"Well, first of all, Peggy heard this noise in the cellar, so she goes down-" Jackie said.

"No, I mean worldwide," the Doctor interrupted, much to Clara's disappointment. Rose smirked at her and Clara stuck her tongue out.

"Oh!" Jackie said. "That was about two months ago. Just happened. Woke up one morning and there they all were—ghosts, everywhere. We all ran round screaming and that, whole planet was panicking...no sign on YOU, thank you very much...then it sort of sank in. Took us time to realize that...we're lucky."

"What makes you think it's grandad?" Rose asked and Clara nodded.

"Just feels like him," Jackie said. "There's that smell, those old cigarettes. Can't you smell it?"

Clara sniffed the air, then shook her head.

"I wish I could, mum, but I can't," Rose said gently.

"You've got to make an effort," Jackie told both Rose and Clara. "You've got to WANT it, sweethearts."

"The more you want it, the stronger it gets?" the Doctor asked.

"Sort of, yeah," Jackie said.

"Like a psychic link," the Doctor said. "Course you want your old dad to be alive, but you're wishing him into existence. The ghosts are using that to pull themselves in."

"You're spoiling it," Jackie said.

"I'm sorry, Jackie, but there's no smell, there's no cigarettes. Just a memory," the Doctor said.

"But if they're not ghosts, what are they, then?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, but they're human! You can see them—they LOOK human!" Jackie said.

"She's got a point," Rose said. "I mean, they're all sort of blurred, but they're definitely people."

"Maybe not," the Doctor said thoughtfully. "They're pressing themselves into the surface of the world. But a footprint doesn't look like a boot."

"So maybe it's an alien that has a human form," Clara said and the Doctor nodded and stood up.

Clara went with the Doctor into the TARDIS where the Doctor immediately wedged himself underneath the console. Bored, Clara sat on the pilot's chair, painting her nails, which she never did. A while later, Rose came in holding a newspaper.

"According to the paper, they've elected a ghost as MP for Leads," she said, looking at Clara, and then peering at the Doctor. "Now don't tell me you're gonna sit back and do nothing."

Clara rolled her eyes and grinning as the Doctor hopped up from underneath the console with the song Ghostbusters playing. He was holding an odd looking device in one hand and was wearing a rucksack.

"Who're you gonna call?" the Doctor asked.

"Ghostbusters!" Rose and Clara both said.

"I ain't afraid of no ghost," the Doctor said, leaving the TARDIS. Rose and Clara followed after him, giggling.

Jackie was standing outside, waiting for them. The Doctor arranged three cone-shaped devices in a triangle shape.

"When's the next shift?" the Doctor asked Jackie.

"Quarter to," Jackie said, checking her watch. "But don't go causing trouble. What's that lot do?"

"Triangulates their point to origin," the Doctor said.

"I don't suppose it's the Gelth?" Rose asked.

"Nah," the Doctor said. "They were just coming through one little rift. This lot are transposing themselves over the whole planet. Like tracing paper."

"You're always doing this," Jackie said crossly. "Reducing it to science. Why can't it be real? Just think of it, though...all the people we've lost—our families coming back home. Don't you think it's beautiful?"

The Doctor paused in what he was doing, looking at her and said, "I think it's horrific."

Jackie looked shocked.

"Rose, Clara, give us a hand," the Doctor said. He started unwinding a cable, leading it to the TARDIS with Rose and Clara following him. He plugged it into the console as Jackie stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

The Doctor started explaining everything to Rose and Clara at such a speed, they had trouble keeping up.

"As soon as it becomes activated, if that line goes into the red, press that button there. If it doesn't stop...setting 15B, hold it against the port, eight seconds and stop," he said, holding the sonic screwdriver underneath Clara's nose.

"Right, then," Clara said, taking the screwdriver.

"15B, eight seconds," Rose said.

"If it goes into the blue, activate the deep scan on the left," the Doctor said.

"Hang on a minute, I know..." Rose said. She leaned against over the console and pointed at a button. "It's that one."

"Mm, close," the Doctor said.

"That one?" Rose said, pointing to another button.

"Nnnnow you've just killed us," the Doctor said.

"Such children," Clara teased at them as Rose giggled.

"Eh...that one," Rose said.

"Yeah! Now, what've we got? Two minutes to go?" the Doctor asked, looking at Jackie, who checked her watch.

Clara put the sonic screwdriver into a port on the console as Rose stood by the doors to talk to the Doctor, who was outside with his devices.

"What's the line doing?" Rose asked Clara, passing the message from the Doctor.

"It's all right, it's holding," Clara said, and Rose passed it on to the Doctor.

"You both even look like him," Jackie said to Rose and Clara, after contemplating them.

"How d'you mean?" Rose asked, then smiled. "I s'pose we do, yeah."

"You've both changed so much," Jackie said.

"For the better..." Rose said.

"I s'pose," Jackie said.

"Mum, I used to work in a SHOP," Rose said.

"And I had no job at all," Clara said.

"I've worked in shops and had no jobs. What's wrong with that?" Jackie asked.

"No, I didn't mean that," Rose said.

"I didn't, either," Clara said, feeling bad.

"I know what you both meant," Jackie said. "What happens when I'm gone?"

"Don't talk like that!" Rose said, shocked. Clara was just as shocked. After losing her parents, she couldn't even think of something like that.

"No, but really," Jackie said seriously. "When I'm dead and buried, you both won't have any reason to come back home. What happens then?"

"I don't know," Rose said quietly.

"Don't know," Clara mumbled.

"Do you think either of you will ever settle down?" Jackie asked.

"The Doctor never will, so Clara can't," Rose said. "We'll just keep on traveling."

"And you'll both keep on changing," Jackie said. "And in forty years time, fifty, there'll be this woman—this strange woman...walking through the marketplace on some planet a billion miles from Earth. She's not Rose Tyler. Or Clara Tyler. Not anymore. She's not even human..."

The Doctor broke her rant and Rose relayed the message to Clara.

"The scanner's working—it says 'delta one six'," Rose yelled back to the Doctor from Clara.

Clara adjusted the knob on the monitor, bringing up an image of the Doctor and the triangle device from outside. A moment later, a ghost materialized in the center of the triangles. Rose and Jackie joined her, watching in amazement. The cones around the ghost connected with blue electricity, which connected over the top of the ghost, making a pyramid over the ghost.

"Whoa," Clara said.

She looked confused as the Doctor put on a pair of what looked like 3D glasses looking at the ghost. Then, he bent down and adjusted something on the device.

Clara sighed and looked away from the monitor. A moment later, the Doctor came waltzing into the TARDIS, throwing his coat over the railing.

"I said so!" the Doctor said excitedly. "Those ghosts have been FORCED into existence for one specific point! And I can track down the source. Allons—Y!"

He pulled a lever and he and Rose flew into the chair, while Clara flew into his lap.

"Ah!" she cried out in surprise.

The Doctor practically pushed her off his lap as he got back up and went to the console.

"Hey!" she exclaimed.

"I like that. 'Allons-y.' I should say 'allons-y' more often. 'Allons-y.' Watch out, Rose and Clara Tyler! Allons-y! And THEN, it would be really brilliant if I met someone called Allonzo. Because then I could say, 'allons-y, Allonzo! Every time! You're both staring at me," he said.

Clara had been staring at the Doctor, smiling at him, while Rose said quietly, "My mum's still on board."

Clara whipped around, and sure enough, there was Jackie, sitting up in the gantries, her legs dangling.

"If we end up on Mars, I'm gonna kill you," she said, folding her arms. The Doctor looked at her, horrified, while Clara and Rose both smirked. The Doctor switched on the monitor when they materialized for them all to see soldiers circling the TARDIS with guns out.

"Oh, well, there goes the advantage of surprise," the Doctor said. "Still! Cuts to the chase. Stay in here, look after Jackie," he said to Rose and Clara, making for the door.

"I'm not looking after my mum!" Rose said, trailing after him.

"Well, you brought her!" the Doctor said.

"I was kidnapped!" Jackie said indignantly.

"I'm not letting you go alone!" Clara said, pushing past the Doctor, blocking his way. Rose pushed past and joined her.

"Doctor, they've got guns," Rose said warningly.

"And I haven't," the Doctor reminded them. "Which makes me the better person, don't you think?"

He grabbed Clara around the waist, much to her surprise, and moved her out of the way. Rose stepped off to the side.

"They can shoot me dead, but the moral high-ground in mine," he said. With that, he opened the doors and left the TARDIS. Rose, Clara, and Jackie all peeked through a crack in the doors, unseen by anyone outside of the TARDIS.

A woman rushed into the room and said excitedly, "Oh! Oh, how marvelous! Oh, very good. Superb. Happy day!"

The soldiers followed her lead, clapping for the Doctor.

"Um. Thanks. Nice to meet you. I'm...the Doctor," he said.

"What is he doing?" Clara muttered.

What the Doctor had said had set them off clapping again.

"Oh, I should say!" the woman said. "Hurray!"

"You...you've heard of me, then?" the Doctor asked.

"Well, of course we have," the woman said. "And I have to say, if it wasn't for you, none of us would BE here. The Doctor AND the TARDIS...!"

She started the applause again. The Doctor, who was clearly enjoying this, gestured for silence.

"And...and...and you are?"

"Oh, plenty of time for that," the woman said. "But according to the records, you're not one for traveling alone. The Doctor and his companion. That's a pattern, isn't it, right? There's no point hiding anymore. Not from us. So, where is she?"

"...Yes! Sorry. Good point. She's just a bit shy, that's all," the Doctor said. His hand entered the TARDIS door and grabbed Jackie and pulled her out, leaving Rose and Clara standing there, confused.

"But here she is: Rose Tyler," the Doctor continued. "Hmm. She's NOT the best I've ever had. Bit too blonde. Not to steady on her pins. A lot of that."

He mimed chatting with his hand and Jackie glared at him while the woman laughed.

"And just last week, she stared into the heart of the Time Vortex and aged fifty-seven years. But she'll do," the Doctor said.

"I'm 40!" Jackie said.

"Deluded," the Doctor said. "Bless. I'll have to trade her in. Do you need anyone? She's very good at tea. Well, I say very good, I mean not bad. Well. I say not bad...anyway! Lead on. But not too fast. Her ankle's going."

The woman turned and left and the Doctor and Jackie followed after her. Unable to see anymore, Rose and Clara watched on the monitor.

"What do we do now?" Clara asked.

"Look for something useful?" Rose said, like it was a question.

"I'm pretty sure he had his screwdriver with him," Clara thought out loud.

"What 'bout the psychic paper?" Rose asked.

"Psychic paper! Ooh, you're brilliant!" Clara said, sounding just like the Doctor. Both the girls laughed at that, then got to work searching for the psychic paper.

Rose went to the Doctor's coat and started going through the pockets.

"Psychic paper...psychic paper...Got it!" she said, pulling it out of one of the pockets.

"I think it's safe to go out, now," Clara said, peeking out of the doors of the TARDIS. Both she and Rose stepped out of the time machine with caution and found themselves in a corner of a factory floor.

"Move!" Rose hissed, as they dodged out of the way of two men talking. Rose tried to go the other way, but two soldiers approached, so Clara pulled her back, out of the way. The two of them waited until the soldiers were gone, then Rose quickly grabbed two discarded white lab coats and tossed one to Clara. Clara put it on, then the two of them walked out into the open.

"Act confident," Rose hissed.

"Obviously," Clara hissed back.

No one gave them a second look as they followed a man that went through a door.

"Keep a distance," Clara whispered out of the corner of her mouth as they still followed the man down a corridor. As the man rounded a corner, Rose and Clara jogged to catch up. He had gone through a door, which had closed.

"It's locked," Clara said.

Rose looked at the lock, then kissed the psychic paper before pressing it against the lock. The door slide open and Clara grinned. The two of them walked into a room that had a strange sphere in it. Clara stared at it, like she was completely unable to look away.

"Can I help you?" a man asked, approaching them.

"We were just..." Rose said, still looking at the sphere.

"Try not to look," the man said. "It does that to everyone. What do you want?"

"Sorry," Rose said. "Um...they sent us from personnel. They said some man had been taken prisoner. Some sort of Doctor? We're just...checking the lines of communication, did they tell you anything?"

"Can I see your authorization?" the man asked.

"Sure," Rose said, handing over the psychic paper.

"That's lucky," the man said.

Both Rose and Clara smiled at each other.

"You see, everyone at Torchwood has at least a basic level of psychic training," the man said. Both the girls' smiles faded. "This paper is blank. And you're both fake. Seal the room. Call security."

The doors closed.

"Bugger," Clara hissed.

"Samuel? Can you check the door locks? They just walked right in," the man said.

The man named Samuel turned, only it wasn't Samuel. It was Mickey.

"Doing it now, sir," he said.

Clara felt like her eyes were going to bug out of her head, she was stunned. Mickey just put a finger to his lips and gave the two of them a thumbs up, grinning.

"Well," the man said. "If you'd like to take a seat."

Rose nodded and the two of them sat down in extra chairs in the room. The man got on his laptop and turned on the webcam.

"Yvonne? I think you should see this. We've got visitors. We don't know who they are, but funnily enough, they arrived at the same time as the Doctor," the man said.

Clara wiggled her fingers at the Doctor, while Rose peered into the camera.

"Are they yours?" Yvonne asked the Doctor.

"Never seen them before in my life," the Doctor said, shaking his head.

Clara rolled her eyes.

"Good!" Yvonne said. "Then we can have them shot."

"Oh, all right then, it'll be worth a try," the Doctor said, sitting up. "That's...that's Rose Tyler and Clara Tyler."

"Sorry," Rose waved. "Hello!"

"Hi, Doctor," Clara said, guilty at being caught. The Doctor waved back at them.

"Well, if that's Rose Tyler, who's SHE?" Yvonne asked, pointing at Jackie.

"I'm their mother," Jackie said.

"Well, really my aunt, but like my mother," Clara said.

"Oh, you both travel with their mother?" Yvonne asked the Doctor.

"He kidnapped me," Jackie said.

"Please, when Torchwood comes to write my complete history, don't tell people I traveled through time and space with their mother..." the Doctor said.

"Charming," Jackie said.

"I've got a reputation to uphold!" the Doctor said, then the man shut off the webcam.

Clara leaned back in her seat and sighed, bored. A minute later, the man, who's name was Rajesh, said into the comm, "Yvonne, I thought you said the next Ghost Shift was canceled. What's going on? Yvonne?"

The whole room suddenly shook. Clara whipped around in her chair to look at the sphere, where the tremor had come from.

"It can't be," Rajesh said. The four of them hurried over to the sphere. There was another crash from within the sphere. "It's active! We've got a problem down here. Yvonne, can you hear me?"

The sphere started vibrating and Clara took a slight step back.

"Yvonne, for goodness sake—the sphere is active!" Rajesh said. "The readings are going wild! It's got weight, it's got mass, an electromagnetic field—it exists!"

There was a crash behind them, which was the door closing and sealing.

"The door's sealed," Rajesh said. "Automatic quarantine—we can't get out!"

He rushed off, but Rose, Clara, and Mickey were left looking up at the sphere.

"It's all right, babe," Mickey said. "We beat them before, we can beat them again. That's why I'm here. The fight goes on."

"The fight against what?" Rose asked, as the sphere continued to vibrate.

"What d'you think?" Mickey asked.

"Dunno what to think," Clara said.

They all stumbled then as two violent crashes came from the sphere. The sphere finally stopped vibrating as Rajesh joined Mickey, Rose, and Clara again. Mickey removed his lab coat and pulled out his ear piece.

"Here we go," he said.

Smooth cracks started to appear in the sphere as it opened. Light spilled from the gaps.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Clara said, as light continued to spill from the sphere.

"I know what's in there," Mickey said. "And I'm ready for them. I've got just the thing."

He pulled out a weapon that he had hidden underneath a counter, then positioned himself in front of the sphere.

"This is gonna blast them to hell," Mickey said.

"Samuel, what are you doing?!" Rajesh said.

"The name's Mickey. Mickey Smith. Defending the Earth," he said.

"Look at you, all tough," Clara said, trying not to be scared. Mickey cocked his gun as the sphere continued to part further. Something started to emerge from the sphere then. It was a familiar-looking alien that made Clara start to shake with fear.

"That's not Cybermen..." Mickey said, thrown.

Four Daleks glided out of the sphere.

"Oh, my gosh," Rose said.

"It can't be," Clara said.

"Location: Earth. Life forms detected. Exterminate!" the Dalek said. Mickey aimed his gun at them. "Exterminate! Exterminate! EXTERMINATE!"

TO BE CONTINUED...


	27. Doomsday

**Doomsday**

The Dalek continued to exclaim, "Exterminate!" as it advanced on Rose, Mickey, Clara, and Rajesh.

"Daleks!" Rose shouted, and they all fell silent. "You're called 'Daleks'."

The Daleks didn't respond, but just looked at her.

"What are you doing?" Clara hissed at her cousin, as Rose started to walk towards the Daleks.

"I know your name," Rose said, ignoring Clara and shrugging off her lab coat. "Think about it—how can I know that? A Human...who knows about the Daleks. And the Time War. If you wanna know how, then keep us alive. That's all I'm asking. Me and my friends."

"Yeah, Daleks. Time War. Me, too," Mickey said. The Dalek's eyestalk turned around to look at Mickey.

"Yeah, and me," Rajesh said.

"You will be necessary," the Dalek said to Rose. "Report—what is the status of the Genesis Ark?"

"Status—hibernation," another Daleks said.

"Commence awakening," the first Dalek said.

"The Genesis Ark must be protected above all else," a third Dalek said. They turned to the sphere, which had something else coming through it, which Clara supposed was the 'Genesis Ark.'

"The Daleks—you said they were all dead," Mickey said to Rose and Clara, still pointing his gun at the Daleks.

"Never mind that—what the hell's a Genesis Ark?" Rose asked.

"Who knows," Clara said darkly.

"Which of you is least important?" the first Dalek asked them.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rose asked.

"Which of you is least important?" the Dalek asked again.

"No, we don't work like that. None of us," Rose said.

"Designate the least important!" the Dalek said.

"This is my responsibility," Rajesh said.

"No, don't!" Rose said, both her and Clara holding him back. Rajesh ignored the both of them and stood before the Daleks.

"I, er—I represent the Torchwood Institute. Anything you need, you...come through me. Leave these three alone," Rajesh said.

"You will kneel," the first Dalek said.

"What for?" Rajesh asked.

"Kneel," the Dalek repeated.

Rajesh knelt and the Daleks surrounding him directed their eye stalks at him.

"The Daleks need information about current Earth history," the Dalek continued.

"Yeah, well, I can give you a certain amount of intelligence, but nothing that will compromise Home Land security-" Rajesh said.

"Speech is not necessary," the Dalek said. "We will extract brainwaves."

The Daleks advanced on Rajesh and positioned their suction cups around his head. Rajesh looked scared to death.

"Don't...I—I'll tell you everything you need. No. No!" Rajesh shouted.

Clara closed her eyes and looked away just before the Daleks crushed Rajesh's skull. She gagged as the Daleks let Rajesh's body fall to the ground.

"His mind spoke of a second species invading Earth infected by the superstition of ghosts," the Dalek said.

"You didn't need to KILL him!" Rose shouted.

"Neither did we need him alive," a Dalek said.

"Dalek Thay—investigate outside," the first Dalek said.

"I obey," Dalek Thay said, leaving the room.

"Establish visual contact. Lower communications barrier," the first Dalek said.

A projection appeared in the spot where the sphere had been, showing Dalek Thay's point of view as he met with two Cybermen.

"Identify yourselves," Dalek Thay said.

"You will identify first," one of the Cybermen said.

"State your identity," Dalek Thay said.

"You will identify first," the Cyberman said.

"Identify!" Dalek Thay yelled.

"This is going nowhere," Clara said, still feeling sick.

"It's like Stephen Hawkins meets the Speaking Clock," Mickey said and Clara let out a chuckle.

"...illogical, you will modify," the Cyberman said.

"Daleks do not take orders," Dalek Thay said.

"You have identified as Daleks," the Cyberman said.

"Outline resembles the INFERIOR species known as 'Cybermen'," Dalek Thay said.

Clara's phone then vibrated in her pocket, but she only put it on speaker phone when she answered it, afraid to draw attention to herself, Rose, and Mickey.

"We must protect the Genesis Ark," one of the Daleks said.

"Our species our similar, though your design is inelegant," the Cyberman said.

"Daleks have no concept of elegance," Dalek Thay said.

"This is obvious," the Cyberman said. "But consider—our technologies are compatible. Cybermen plus Daleks—together, we could upgrade the Universe."

"You propose an alliance?" Dalek Thay said.

"This is correct," the Cyberman said.

"Request denied," Dalek Thay said.

"Hostile elements will be deleted," the Cyberman said, holding their fists out. They shot at the Daleks, but their shots simply bounced off Dalek Thay's armor.

"Exterminate!" Dalek Thay shouted and then shot at both the Cybermen, collapsing them to the floor.

The Cybermen then came on screen and addressed the Daleks.

"Daleks, be warned: you have declared war upon the Cybermen," one Cyberman said.

"This is not war," the first Dalek said. "This is pest control."

"We have five million Cybermen. How many are you?" the Cyberman asked.

"Four," Dalek Sek said.

"You would destroy the Cybermen with FOUR Daleks?!" the Cyberman asked.

"We would destroy the Cybermen with ONE Dalek. You are superior in only one respect," Dalek Sek said.

"What is that?" the Cyberman asked.

"You are better at dying," Dalek Sek said. "Raise communications barrier!"

The projection on the wall disappeared and static took its place.

"Wait!" Dalek Jast said. "Rewind image by nine rells."

The image on the screen showed the Doctor in the background.

"Identify grid seven gamma frame," Dalek Jast said.

The picture zoomed in on the Doctor.

"This male registers as enemy," Dalek Jast said.

Clara grinned at seeing the Doctor's face.

"Both the female's heartbeats have increased," Dalek Sek said, turning around.

"Well, duh," Clara said.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Mickey said.

"Identify him," Dalek Sek said.

"All right then...if you really wanna know...that's the Doctor," Rose said.

"Or, as you call him, the Oncoming Storm," Clara said, looking smug as the Daleks rolled back sharply.

"Five million Cybermen—easy," Rose said. "One Doctor? NOW you're scared."

"And they have good reason to be," Clara said, grinning.

Dalek Thay entered the room again.

"Cyber threat irrelevant," Dalek Thay said. "Concentrate on the Genesis Ark."

Dalek Sek pressed its suction cup to the side of the Genesis Ark.

"Why are we being kept alive?" Mickey asked Rose and Clara.

"They might need us," Rose said after a pause.

"And now they know we know the Doctor," Clara said. "Collateral."

"What?" Mickey asked. "What is it?"

Rose didn't answer, but looked fearful. Mickey showed Rose and Clara his yellow button that was around his neck while the Daleks were still around the Genesis Ark.

"I could transport one of you out of here, but it only carries one and I'm not leaving either of you," Mickey said.

"You'd follow me anywhere," Rose said. "What did I do to you all those years ago?"

"Guess I'm just stupid," Mickey said.

"You're the bravest man I've ever met," Rose said, squeezing his hand. Clara looked at Rose and wiggled her eyebrows at her.

"What about the Doctor?" Mickey asked.

"Oh, all right. Bravest Human," Rose said and they smiled at each other.

"Well, I can't think what the Daleks need with me. I'm nothing to them," Mickey said.

"You could be...whatever's inside that Ark is waking up and I've seen this happen before," Rose said and Clara thought to when she had touched the Dalek.

"The first time I saw a Dalek, it was broken," Rose said. "It was dying. But Clara touched it. The moment she did that...she brought it back to life. As the Doctor said...when you travel in time in the TARDIS, you soak up all this...um...background radiation. It's harmless, it's just there. But in the Time War, the Daleks evolved so they could use it as a power supply."

"I love it when you talk technical," Mickey said and Clara snorted.

"Shut up," Rose told both of them. "If the Daleks have got something inside that thing that needs waking up..."

"They need you," Mickey said.

"YOU'VE traveled in time—any one of us would do," Rose said.

"But why would they build something they can't open themselves?" Mickey said.

"The technology is stolen," Dalek Sek suddenly interrupted. "The Ark is not of Dalek design."

"Then who built it?" Rose asked.

"The Time Lords. This is all that survives of their Home World," Dalek Sek said.

"That's impossible!" Clara said, stunned.

"What's inside?" Rose asked.

"The future," Dalek Sek said.

The Daleks finally backed away from the Genesis Ark.

"The final stage of awakening," Dalek Caan said.

"Your hand print will open the Ark," Dalek Sek said.

"Well tough, 'cos we're not doing it," Rose said.

"Obey or the male will die," Dalek Sek said.

"I can't let them," Rose said, immediately moving towards the Ark.

"Rose, don't," Mickey said.

"Place your hand upon the casket," Dalek Sek said.

"All right!" Rose said violently. "You're gonna kill us anyway, so what the hell?"

Instead of going to the Ark, Rose went and stood right in front of the Daleks.

"If you, um...escaped the Time War..don't you want to know what happened?" Rose asked.

"Place your hand-" Dalek Sek said.

"What happened to the Emperor?" Rose pushed.

"Be careful, Rose," Clara warned.

"The Emperor survived," Dalek Sek said.

"'Til he met me and my cousin...'cos if these are gonna be my last words, then you're gonna listen," Rose said. "I met the Emperor. And Clara, my cousin there, took the Time Vortex and pulled it into his head and turned him into dust. Do you get that? The god of all Daleks...and she destroyed him."

"So you'd better watch out," Clara said, stepping forward, eyes on fire.

"You will be EXTERMINATED!" Dalek Sek said furiously, turning on Clara.

"Oh, now, hold on, wait a minute," the Doctor's voice came from the doorway.

"Alert, alert—you are the Doctor," Dalek Sek said.

Clara grinned at the Doctor as he waltzed into the room wearing his 3D specs he'd had on earlier.

"Sensors report he is unarmed," Dalek Thay said.

"That's me," the Doctor said. "Always."

"Then you are powerless," Dalek Sek said.

"Not me," the Doctor said, taking off his specs with a flourish. "Never. How are you?"

"Oh, same old, you know," Rose said, grinning at him.

"Just peachy," Clara said.

"Good!" the Doctor said. "And Mickity-McMickey!" The two of them fist bumped. "Nice to see ya!"

"And you, boss," Mickey said.

"Social interaction will cease!" Dalek Jast said.

"How did you survive the Time War?" Dalek Sek said.

"By fighting," the Doctor said. "On the front line. I was there at the fall of Arcadia. Someday, I might even come to terms with that. But you lot—ran away!"

"We had to survive," Dalek Sek said.

"The last four Daleks in existence," the Doctor said. "So, what's so special about YOU?"

"Doctor, they've got names," Rose said in a low voice. "And Daleks don't have names, do they? One of them said they-"

"I am Dalek Thay."

"Dalek Sek."

"Dalek Jast."

"Dalek Caan."

"So THAT'S it! At last...the Cult of Skaro. I thought you were just a legend," the Doctor said, seeming like he was delighted with this.

"Who are they?" Rose asked.

"A secret order," the Doctor said, strolling around the Daleks. "Above and beyond the Emperor himself. Their job was to imagine. Think as the enemy thinks. Even dared to have names. All to find new ways of killing."

"But that thing, they said it was yours," Mickey said, gesturing to the Ark. "I mean, Time Lords. They built it. What does it do?"

"I don't know. Never seen it before," the Doctor said, glancing at the Ark.

"But it's...Time Lord," Rose said.

"Both sides had secrets," the Doctor said, then addressed the Daleks. "What is it? What have you done?"

"Time Lord science will restore Dalek supremacy," Dalek Sek said.

"What does that mean? What sort of Time Lord science? What do you mean?" the Doctor asked.

"They said one touch from a time traveler will wake it up," Rose said.

"They they tried to get us to touch it," Clara said.

"Technology using the one thing a Dalek can't do," the Doctor said. "Touch. Sealed inside your casing. Not feeling anything...ever...from birth to death, locked inside a cold, metal cage. Completely alone. And that explains your voice. Now wonder you scream."

"The Doctor will open the Ark!" Dalek Sek said.

The Doctor laughed contemptuously and said, "The Doctor will not."

"You have no way of resisting," Dalek Sek said.

"Well...you got me there. Although...there is always this," the Doctor said, taking his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket.

"A sonic probe?" Dalek Sek asked.

"That's screwdriver," the Doctor said.

"It is harmless," Dalek Sek said, as if scorning him.

"Oh, yes," the Doctor said. "Harmless is just the word. That's why I like it. Doesn't kill, doesn't wound, doesn't maim. But I'll tell you what it does do—it is VERY good at opening doors."

He activated the screwdriver and immediately, the doors exploded inwards, which Clara ducked out of instinct. Jake, his men, and the Cybermen ran inside, firing their guns at the Daleks.

"Delete! Delete! Delete! Delete!" the Cybermen yelled.

"Alert! Casing impact, casing impact!" Dalek Caan said.

The Doctor had pulled Clara to the ground as they all tried to avoid the guns.

"Rose, Clara, get out!" the Doctor shouted.

Clara pulled Rose towards the door, but Rose stumbled.

"Fire power insufficient! Fire power insufficient!" Dalek Sek said.

Clara was surprised when Pete was suddenly there, helping Rose to her feet. The two of them make for the door, with Clara right behind them. Clara spotted a stray gun, wanting to pick it up and help, but thought better of it. Right then, the Doctor managed to reach them in the doorway.

"Mickey, come on!" Rose yelled.

The Doctor started to shut the door with his sonic screwdriver as Jake, Mickey, and their men just managed to get through it before it closed.

"Jake, check the stairwell," the Doctor said. "The rest of you, come on!"

Jake separated from them as they ran down corridor after corridor.

"I just fell, I didn't mean it!" Mickeys said, telling them about the Ark.

"Mickey, without us, they'd have opened it by force," the Doctor said. "To do that, they'd have blown up the sun. you've done us a favor!" He kissed the top of Mickey's head. "Now, run!"

"If we'd only know that before!" Clara said, running.

The Doctor found the room where the Daleks and Cybermen were battling, and opened the door, peering in. He then dove into the room. Clara winced and was ready to dive in after him every time a beam from either the Cybermen or Daleks passed by him. The Doctor picked up three of the magnaclamps, using them to deflect the rays away from himself. He made back for the door with them, dodging the beams, then tripped over a Cyberman's body.

"Get up, get up," Clara chanted.

The Doctor quickly got to his feet and slipped through the door and Rose closed it after him. After a moment, the Doctor opened the door again, but this time, he was wearing his 3D specs.

"Override roof mechanism," Dalek Sek said, as the roof slowly began to open.

"El-ev-ate!" Dalek Sek said.

"What're they doing? Why'd they need to get outside?!" Rose said, watching them.

"Time Lord science—WHAT Time Lord science?" the Doctor asked, baffled by that. "What is it?"

He shut the door and ran back down the corridor with Rose and Clara, shouting to everyone as he went.

"We've gotta see what it's doing, we've gotta go back up! Come on! All of you! Top floor!" he yelled.

"That's forty-five floors up!" Jackie said, appearing. "Believe me, I've done 'em all."

"We could always take the lift..." Jake said, popping his head out of the lift.

The lift was crowded and the music annoying as they all went up to the top floor. Finally able to breathe, Clara stepped out of the lift with everyone else. The Doctor dumped the magnaclamps down on a desk as he went. Outside, the Genesis Ark was spinning in the air, Daleks shooting out of his. The Doctor stood at the window, staring in horror.

"Oh, my gosh," Clara gasped.

"Time Lord science...it's bigger on the inside," the Doctor said.

"Did the Time Lords put those Daleks in there? What for?" Mickey asked.

"It's a prison ship," the Doctor said.

"How many Daleks?" Rose asked.

"Millions," the Doctor said, as the Daleks spread out over London.

"Crap," Clara muttered. "How're we gonna stop them?" Clara asked.

"We can't," Pete said, walking away from the window. "I'm sorry, but you've had it. This world's gonna crash and burn. There's nothing we can do. We're going home. Jacks, take this."

He tossed Jackie one of the yellow buttons.

"But they're destroying the City!" Jackie said.

"I'd forgotten you could argue," Pete said affectionately, looping the button around her neck for her. "It's not just London, it's the whole world. But there's another world, just waiting for you, Jacks. And it's safe. As long as the Doctor closes the breach. Doctor?"

Clara grinned as the Doctor turned away from the window with his 3D specs on and a big grin.

"Oh, I'm ready," the Doctor said gleefully. "I've got the equipment right here. Thank you, Torchwood!" He dashed to a computer. "Slam it down and close off both universes."

"Reboot systems," the computer said.

"But we can't just leave," Rose said. "What about the Daleks? And the Cybermen-?"

The Doctor stood and said, "They're part of the problem. And THAT makes them part of the solution. Oh, yes!"

"Okay..." Clara said, confused.

"Well?!" The Doctor asked. "Isn't anyone gonna ask? What is it with the glasses?"

"What is it with the glasses?" Rose asked, grinning.

"Yeah, what IS with the glasses?" Clara asked.

"I can SEE!" the Doctor said. "That's what! 'Cos we've got two separate worlds, but in between the two separate worlds, we've got the Void. That's where the Daleks were hiding. And the Cybermen traveled through the Void to get there! And you lot—one world to another, via the Void! Oh, I like that. Via the Void! Look!"

He put the glasses onto Rose's face, then Rose handed them to Clara.

"I've been through it," the Doctor said. "Do you see?"

He moved back and forth and Clara gasped in amazement. He was surrounded by floating green and red particles.

"Cool!" Clara said.

"Reboot in three minutes," the computer said.

"Void stuff," the Doctor said.

"Like, um...background radiation!" Rose said.

"Only cooler," Clara said.

"That's it," the Doctor said. "Look at the others."

Clara looked at Jake, Mickey, Jackie, and Pete. Jackie was the only one not surrounded by the so-called 'Void Stuff.'

"The only one who hasn't been through the Void—your mother. First time she's looked normal in her life," the Doctor said.

Clara giggled as she passed the glasses back to Rose so she could see.

"Oi!" Jackie said.

The Doctor dashed back into a clear, white area, with Rose and Clara following.

"The Daleks lived inside the Void," the Doctor said. "They're bristling with it. Cybermen—all of them. I just open the Void—end of verse. The Void stuff gets sucked inside."

"PULLING them all in," Rose said enthusiastically.

"Pulling them all in," the Doctor repeated.

"Like a vacuum!" Clara exclaimed.

"Sorry...what's—what's the Void?" Mickey asked.

"The dead space. Some people call it hell," the Doctor said.

"So...you're sending the Daleks and Cybermen to hell," Mickey said, looping a button around his neck. He turned to Jake. "Man, I told you he was good."

"But it's...like you said, we've ALL got Void stuff," Rose said. "Clara and me, too, 'cos we went to that parallel world."

She examined her fingers, then pulled off the 3D specs. The Doctor stood in front of her and Clara.

"We're all contaminated," Rose said. "We'll get pulled in."

"That's why you've gotta go," the Doctor said.

"Go where?" Clara asked.

"Reboot in two minutes," the computer said.

"Back to Pete's world," the Doctor said, pointing to Pete. "Hey, we should call it that-'Pete's World.' I'm opening the Void, but only on this side. You'll both be safe on that side."

"No..." Clara said, horrified.

"And then you close it. For good?" Pete asked.

"The breach itself is soaked in Void Stuff, in the end it'll close itself. And that's it. Kaput," the Doctor said.

"But you stay on THIS side...?" Rose said.

"But you'll get pulled in," Mickey said.

The Doctor looked at Rose and Clara, who was stunned, before he ran over to the magnaclamps.

"That's why...I got these," the Doctor said. "I'll just have to told on tight—I've been doing it all my life."

"We're supposed to go," Rose said.

"Yeah," the Doctor said.

"To another world, and then it gets sealed off," Rose said.

"Yeah," the Doctor said.

"No way in hell," Clara said with determination.

"Forever," Rose said, laughing. "That's not gonna happen."

"We haven't got time to argue, the plan works, we go in," Pete said briskly as the building shook. "Both of you, too. ALL of us."

"No, I'm not leaving!" Rose said angrily.

"You can't make me leave!" Clara shouted.

"I'm not going without them," Jackie said.

"We're GOING," Pete said.

"I've had twenty years without you, so button it," Jackie said. "I'm not leaving them."

"You've GOT to," Rose said.

"You won't be safe otherwise," Clara said.

"Well, that's tough!" Jackie said, her voice rising.

"Mum..." Rose said.

"Reboot in one minute," the computer said.

"I've had a life with you for nineteen years," Rose said.

"And me for ten," Clara said.

"But then we met the Doctor and...all the things I've seen him do for us. For you. For all of us. For the whole...stupid planet and every planet out there. He does it alone, mum. But not anymore. 'Cos now he's got me and Clara."

"And we're not going," Clara said, crossing her arms. Suddenly, a yellow button appeared around her neck.

"What're you—?" Rose asked. Pete reached forward and quickly pressed the buttons around both the girls' necks. The next thing she knew, Clara and the others appeared in the parallel Torchwood.

"No!" Clara cried, pressing her button again.

She appeared back in Torchwood, with Rose appearing right beside her.

"I think this is the on switch..." Rose said.

"Obviously," Clara said sarcastically, rolling her eyes while the Doctor just stared at them. The Doctor grabbed Clara roughly by the shoulders, looking her in the eyes.

"Once the breach collapses, that's IT," the Doctor said to both of them. "You will never be able to see her again. Your own mother and your aunt!"

"I made my choice a long time ago, and I'm never gonna leave you," Rose said calmly.

The Doctor looked at Clara.

"You know I love you and would never leave you," Clara said fiercely.

"So, what can we do to help?" Rose asked.

"Systems rebooted," the computer said. "Open access."

The Doctor finally gave in, pointed to a computer, and said, "Those co-ordinates over there, set them all at six."

Rose hurried up with that, while Clara stood, glaring at the Doctor.

"And hurry up," the Doctor said, sounding angry.

"Don't snap at her," Clara said, while Rose glanced at the Doctor nervously.

Clara took the button off from around her neck and flung it across the room, so the Doctor couldn't send her back to the parallel world.

"We've got Cybermen on the way up," Rose said.

"How many floors down?" the Doctor asked, going to the computer to look.

"Just one," Rose said.

The Doctor reached down and typed something on the computer.

"Levers operations," the computer said. The Doctor grinned.

"That's more like it, bit of a smile!" Rose said. "The old team...!"

The Doctor picked up the three magnaclamps and went over to Rose and Clara.

"Hope and Glory, Mutt and Jeff, Shiver and Shake!" the Doctor said.

"Which one's Shiver?" Rose asked.

"Oh, I'm Shake," the Doctor said, dumping two of the magnaclamps next to them. Clara picked one up and followed the Doctor. She and Rose attached them to one wall, while the Doctor attached his to the opposite wall.

"Press the red button," the Doctor said and they did.

"When it starts, just hold on tight," the Doctor told them, speaking very fast. "Shouldn't be too bad for us but the Daleks and Cybermen are steeped in Void Stuff. Are you ready?"

"I was born ready," Clara said.

"So are they," Rose said, staring at the window, as they got into positions beside the levers. The Daleks appeared at the window.

"Let's do it!" the Doctor said.

Clara helped Rose push their lever upwards and then they hurried to grab hold of their magnaclamp.

"Online," the computer said.

The area filled with white light, but there was also the sound of strong wind. The Daleks were sucked through the window, smashing the glass, as they were pulled into the white light and into the Void. Clara held on as tight as she could, as she could feel the Void pulling at her, also.

"The breach is open! Into the Void! Ha!" the Doctor shouted over the wind.

Soon, the Cybermen were also flying into the Void.

"The lever!" Clara cried, as the lever on her's and Rose's side sparked and moved back into the 'off' position.

"Offline," the computer said.

"Turn it on!" the Doctor said.

Rose tried to reach for the lever, while still trying to hold on to the clamp, but it was slightly too far away. She still kept trying to reach it, letting go of the clamp, falling onto the lever.

"Rose!" Clara cried.

"I've gotta get it upright!" Rose said.

She managed to get the lever upwards and Clara watched with worry.

"Online and locked," the computer said.

Clara tightened her grip as the suction increased.

"Rose, hold on!" the Doctor shouted.

"Don't you let go, Rosie!" Clara cried.

"HOLD ON!" the Doctor screamed.

Clara watched in horror as Rose's grip slipped as shew as pulled towards the Void, crying out.

"Rose, no!" Clara screamed, ready to go in after her.

Pete suddenly appeared behind Rose, grabbing her, then they disappeared. Just after that, the breach closed, and the wind died, leaving the place hauntingly silent.

Clara let go of the clamp and rushed to the wall, nearly in hysterics.

"No! Rose! Come back! Please, come back!" she broke down in tears and fell to the ground, slamming her fist against the wall, bloodying her knuckles.

The Doctor was expressionless as he picked her up off the ground and walked away. Going back to the TARDIS, the Doctor left Clara on the pilot's chair and went to the console.

"I can give you chance to say goodbye," the Doctor said to her quietly.

"Do it," Clara said roughly, her voice choked up from the tears.

The Doctor didn't explain anything, just set to work, while Clara stared off into space, numb. She has just lost her only family and there was no way of getting Rose or Jackie back.

She stood up when the Doctor told her to and stood next to him as Rose appeared in the TARDIS.

"Rose!" Clara exclaimed, rushing to embrace her, but the Doctor held her back.

"Where are you?" Rose asked them.

"Inside the TARDIS," the Doctor said. "There's one tiny little gap in the universe left, just about to close. And it take a lot of power to send this projection, we're in orbit around a super nova. I'm burning up a sun just so Clara and I can say goodbye."

"You both look like ghosts," Rose said.

"Hold on..." the Doctor said, pointing his screwdriver at the console. Rose went forward and raised both her hands to touch both Clara and the Doctor.

"Can I t-?" Rose started.

"We're still just images. No touch," the Doctor said.

"Can't you two come through properly?" Rose asked, her voice trembling.

"The whole thing would fracture," the Doctor said. "Two universes would collapse."

"So?" Rose said, joking.

"I wish we could," Clara said, tears in her eyes.

"Where are we? Where did the gap come out?" the Doctor asked, looking around at the beach they were on.

"We're in Norway," Rose said.

"Norway. Right," the Doctor said.

"About fifty miles out of Bergen. It's called 'Dårlig Ulv Stranden," Rose said.

"Dalek?" the Doctor asked, surprised.

"Dårl-IG," Rose said. "It's Norwegian for 'bad'. This translates as 'Bad Wolf Bay'. How long have we got?"

"About two minutes..." the Doctor said.

"I can't think of what to say!" Rose said.

"You've still got Mr. Mickey, then?" the Doctor asked.

"There's five of us, now. Mum, dad, Mickey...and the baby," Rose said.

"You're not...?" the Doctor asked.

"No," Rose said, laughing. "It's mum."

"Seriously?" Clara asked, surprised.

"She's got three months gone," Rose said, smiling at Clara. "More Tylers on the way."

"Just what the world needs," Clara said, half sarcastically, half serious.

"And what about you?" the Doctor asked. "Are you...?"

"Yeah, I'm—I'm back working in the shop," Rose said.

"Oh, good for you," the Doctor said, nodding.

"Shut up," Rose said.

"No, I'm not. There's still a Torchwood on this planet, it's open for business. I think I know a thing or two about aliens."

"Rose Tyler. Defender of the Earth," the Doctor said proudly.

"Do us proud," Clara said, smiling.

"You're dead, officially, back home. So many people died that day and you've gone missing. You're on a list of the dead," the Doctor said and Rose began to cry.

"That's not what you say to someone, Doctor," Clara scolded and Rose smiled at that. It was like she wasn't just losing a best friend and sister, but also a brother.

"Here you are," the Doctor continued on. "Living a life day after day. The one adventure I can never have."

"Am I ever gonna see either of you again?" Rose asked, sobbing now.

"You can't," the Doctor said and Clara was also now crying.

"What're you both gonna do?" Rose asked.

"Oh, I've got the TARDIS. Same old life. Last of the Time Lords and last of the Tylers," the Doctor said.

"I lo-" Rose started, but choked on her tears. "I love you," she said to both of them.

"I love you, too, Rosie,"Clara sobbed.

"Quite right, too," the Doctor said, nodding.

"And, I suppose...if it's one last chance to say it...Rose Tyler," the Doctor started, but then the beach and Rose faded away.

Clara then broke down completely, falling to the floor of the TARDIS. The Doctor helped her back to the pilot chair, rubbing her back and wiping away his tears and hers. He took a deep breath and went to the console, pushing buttons and pulling levers slowly.

Clara only looked up when she heard the Doctor exclaimed, "What?"

Standing by the TARDIS doors, back to them, was a bride.

"How-?" Clara asked, then hiccuped from her tears. She wiped her face completely as the bride turned around and yelped with surprise. Clara jumped from the seat, standing by the Doctor as he said, "What?"

"Who are you two?" the bride asked.

"But-" the Doctor said, looking around.

"How-?" Clara asked.

"Where am I?" the bride asked.

"What!?" the Doctor exclaimed, more of a higher pitch in his voice.

"What the hell is this place?" the bride yelled.

"WHAT?!" the Doctor and Clara both exclaimed.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	28. The Runaway Bride

**THE RUNAWAY BRIDE**

Standing by the TARDIS doors, back to them, was a bride.

"How-?" Clara asked, then hiccuped from her tears. She wiped her face completely as the bride turned around and yelped with surprise. Clara jumped from the seat, standing by the Doctor as he said, "What?"

"Who are you two?" the bride asked.

"But-" the Doctor said, looking around.

"How-?" Clara asked.

"Where am I?" the bride asked.

"What!?" the Doctor exclaimed, more of a higher pitch in his voice.

"What the hell is this place?" the bride yelled.

"WHAT?!" the Doctor and Clara both exclaimed.

"You can't do that, I wasn't...we're in flight! That is—that is physically impossible! How did-!" the Doctor said, bewildered.

"Tell me where I am," Donna Noble, the bride, demanded. "I demand you tell me right now—where am I?"

"Inside the TARDIS," the Doctor said, staring at her.

"The what?" Donna asked.

"The TARDIS!" the Doctor repeated, turning to the console.

"The what?" Donna asked again.

"It's called the TARDIS," the Doctor said.

"That's not even a proper word," Donna said angrily. "You're just saying things."

"It is too!" Clara argued.

"And you!" Donna snapped at her.

"How did you get in here?" the Doctor asked, interrupting.

"Well, obviously, when you two kidnapped me," Donna said with rage. "Who was it? Who's paying you? Is it Nerys? Oh, my gosh, she's finally got me back. This has got Nerys written all over it."

"Who the hell is Nerys?" the Doctor asked with confusion.

"And what kind of name is that?" Clara asked.

"Your best friend," Donna said, answering the Doctor.

"Hold on, wait a minute—what're you dressed like that for?" the Doctor asked.

"Really, Doctor?" Clara asked him.

"What?" he said.

Clara just smacked her palm to her forehead.

"I'm going ten pin bowling," Donna yelled. "Why do you think, Dumbo? I was halfway up the aisle! I've been waiting all my life for this. I was just seconds away! And then you two—I dunno, you drugged me or something!"

"We haven't done anything!" the Doctor said.

"We're having the police on you two!" Donna said. "Me and my husband—as soon as hie is my husband—we're gonna sue the living backside off ya!"

"Doctor!" Clara warned, as Donna noticed the doors and rushed over to them.

"No, wait a minute!" the Doctor said in alarm, hurrying after her. "Wait a minute! Don't-!"

It was too late, though. Donna had already gotten the doors wide open and was looking at the super nova Clara and the Doctor had been circling. Donna's mouth dropped and the Doctor and Clara went and stood behind her.

"You're in space," the Doctor said. "Outer space. This is my...space ship. It's called the TARDIS."

"How am I breathing?" Donna asked.

"The TARDIS is protecting us," the Doctor said.

"Who are you two?" Donna asked.

"I'm the Doctor and this is Clara. You?"

"Donna."

"Human?" the Doctor asked her.

"Yeah," Donna said. "Is that optional?"

"Well, it is for me," the Doctor said.

"Seriously," Clara said.

"You're an alien," Donna said.

"Yeah," the Doctor said.

"Are you both aliens?" Donna asked.

"Not me," Clara said, shaking her head.

Donna paused for a moment, then said, "It's freezing with these doors open."

The Doctor slammed them shut and ran back to the console.

"But I don't understand it and I understand everything!" the Doctor said.

"Apparently not," Clara muttered.

"This—this can't happen!" the Doctor said. "There is no way a Human Being can lock itself onto the TARDIS and transport itself inside. It must be..."

Clara flopped onto the pilot's chair, drained, as the Doctor was suddenly full of energy. He grabbed his ophthalmoscope and used it to look into Donna's eyes, while muttering to himself.

"Impossible," the Doctor said. "Some sort of subatomic connection? Something in the temporal field? Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the Chronon shell. Maybe something macro mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic-"

Donna interrupted him by slapping him right across the face. Clara flinched, then smiled.

"What was that for?" the Doctor asked indignantly.

"Get me to the church!" Donna yelled.

Clara was actually surprised that Donna hadn't slapped him sooner. She would have.

"Right!" the Doctor said, going back to the controls. "Fine! I don't want you here anyway! Where is this wedding?"

"Doctor!" Clara had exclaimed when he said he didn't want Donna there.

"Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System," Donna said.

She then spotted Rose's blouse that had been hanging over the railing and snatched it u.

"I knew it," Donna said accusingly. "Acting all innocent."

Donna thrust the shirt at the Doctor and Clara.

"I'm not the first, am I? How many women have you abducted?" Donna asked, glancing pointedly at Clara. Clara's face fell. Tears even leaked from the corners of her eyes.

"That's my friend's," the Doctor said quietly.

"Where is she, then?" Donna asked. "Popped out for a space walk? Unless it's yours?"

"No, it's not mine," Clara said quietly. "It was my cousin's."

"She's gone," the Doctor said.

"Gone where?" Donna asked.

"We lost her," the Doctor said.

"Well, you can hurry up and lose me," Donna said furiously.

Clara looked at the floor without really seeing it. It was all a big blur, due to the tears.

"How do you mean, 'lost'?" Donna asked.

Clara was frightened for a moment as the Doctor looked darkly at Donna then strode towards her. He only snatched away Rose's blouse then made towards the door.

"Right! Chiswick," the Doctor said, opening the doors.

"I said 'Saint Mary's'," Donna said, looking around. "What sort of Martian are you? Where's this?"

The Doctor only stroked the TARDIS with concern.

"Something's wrong with her..." he said.

"What is it?" Clara asked, as Donna rolled her eyes.

"It's like she's...recalibrating!" the Doctor said, rushing back into the TARDIS and to the controls with Clara right behind him.

"She's digesting," the Doctor said.

"Digesting what?" Clara asked.

"What have you eaten?" he asked the TARDIS, one hand on the rotor. "What's wrong? Donna? You've really got to think. Is there anything that might've caused this?"

Clara glanced outside the doors and saw that Donna was in shock at the sight of the TARDIS. She only smiled and shook her head.

"Anything you might've done?" the Doctor continued on, oblivious. "Any sort of alien contacts? I can't let you go wandering off in case you're dangerous. I mean, have you...have you seen lights in the sky? Or...did you touch something? Something—something different? Something strange? Something made out of a sort of metal or...who're you getting married to? Are you sure he's human? He's not a bit overweight with a zip around his forehead, is he?"

"I highly doubt he's a Slitheen, Doctor," Clara snorted.

"Donna!" the Doctor said. Clara dashed after him to see that Donna had taken off. The two of them fell into step beside the bride.

"Donna," the Doctor said again.

"Leave me alone," Donna said. "I just want to get married."

"Come back to the TARDIS," the Doctor said.

"No way," Donna said. "That box is too...weird."

"It's beautiful," Clara argued.

"It's...bigger on the inside, that's all," the Doctor said.

"Oh! That's all?" Donna said sarcastically. She sighed and checked her watch. "Ten past three. I'm gonna miss it."

"You can phone them," the Doctor said. "Tell them where you are."

"How do I do that?" Donna asked.

"Haven't you got a mobile?" the Doctor asked.

Donna stopped walking and stared at him.

"I'm in my wedding dress," Donna said. "It doesn't have pockets. Who has pockets? Have you ever seen a bride with pockets? When I went to my fitting, do you think I said, 'Alison, the one thing I forgot to say is give me pockets'?!"

"I've seen wedding dresses with pockets," Clara said. "I think they're brilliant."

Donna only glared at her.

"...This man you're marrying—what's his name?" the Doctor asked, trying to change the subject.

"Lance," Donna said with a love-struck look in her eyes.

"Gotta like Lance," the Doctor said.

"Oi!" Donna shouted, changing her manner so fast, it was scary. "No stupid Martian is gonna stop me from getting married. To hell with you two!"

With that, she ran off again.

"I'm—I'm not...I'm not...I'm not from Mars," the Doctor said feebly.

"Oh, shut it," Clara said, running after Donna with the Doctor right behind her.

"Taxi!" Donna was shouting, running down a busy street. The Doctor and Clara joined her and the taxi Donna was trying to get ignored them.

"Why's his light on?" Donna asked.

"There's another one!" the Doctor said, pointing, running and trying to catch it.

"Taxi!" Donna shouted.

The taxi drove straight past them again.

"Oi!" Donna shouted.

"There's one!" the Doctor shouted.

"I've got it," Clara said, sticking her fingers in her mouth and whistling really loud, but the cab still didn't stop.

"Oi!" Donna said again.

"Do you have this effect on everyone? Why aren't they stopping?" the Doctor asked.

"They think I'm in fancy dress," Donna said, as another taxi went past, the driver honking his horn at them.

"Stay off the scotch, darlin'!" the driver shouted.

"They think I'm drunk," Donna said.

"Obviously," Clara said.

"You're fooling no one, mate!" two guys yelled out from a car as they drove past.

"They think I'm in drag!" Donna said.

Clara snorted.

"Hold on, hold on," the Doctor said, and h whistled like Clara had. This time, though, it actually attracted the attention of a taxi, which stopped in front of them.

"How come that worked for you?!" Clara exclaimed.

"Dunno," the Doctor said, winking at her.

"Saint Mary's in Chiswick, just off Hayden Road," Donna said to the driver after the three of them had climbed into the taxi. "It's an emergency, I'm getting married! Just...hurry up!"

"You know it'll cost you, sweetheart?" the driver said. "Double rates today."

"Oh, my gosh!" Donna said, turning to the Doctor and Clara. "Have you got any money?"

"Um...no," the Doctor said.

"Nope," Clara said.

"And you?" the Doctor asked.

"Pockets!" Donna gestured to her dress violently.

The taxi screeched to a halt and the three of them got out. The Doctor slammed the door shut.

"And that goes double for your mother!" Donna yelled at the cab driver as he drove off. "I'll have him. I've got his number. I'll have him. Talk about the Christmas Spirit.

"Is it Christmas?" the Doctor asked, looking around.

"Well, duh," Donna said.

"Seriously?" Clara asked.

"Maybe not on Mars, but here, it's Christmas Eve," Donna said. She then hit the Doctor. "Phone box!"

The three of them rushed towards it.

"We can reverse the charges!" Donna said.

"How come you're getting married on Christmas Eve?" the Doctor asked.

"It's romantic," Clara said.

"Can't bear it," Donna said, and Clara gave a small gasp of surprise. "I hate Christmas. Honeymoon in Morocco. Sunshine—lovely."

The Doctor held the door open for Donna and Clara leaned against the outside of the phone booth.

"What's the operator? I've not done this in years. What do you dial? 100?" Donna asked.

"Just—just call the direct," the Doctor said, after sonicing the phone with his sonic screwdriver.

"What did you do?" Donna demanded.

"Something—Martian," the Doctor said in a distracted way, looking around. "Now, phone. I'll get money!"

He ran to the nearest cash machine while Clara stayed outside the phone booth, kind of spacing out. Then next thing she knew, Donna was gone from the phone booth and in a taxi shouting, "Thanks for nothing, spaceman! I'll see you in Court!"

"Donna!" the Doctor shouted. Clara ran after the cab, but it was gone. She had seen that the taxi was being driven by a Santa. It was all too familiar.

Clara ran to the Doctor, who was staring at Santa's playing trumpets. It was exactly like Christmas last year. The three of them lowered their trumpets and held them like weapons. Clara ducked on instinct, but the Doctor soniced the cash machine, which made money fly out everywhere. He grabbed Clara's arm as there was a mad scrabble as people tried to catch the money. He pulled her in the direction of the TARDIS.

"I don't think this is gonna work!" Clara exclaimed after they had reached the TARDIS. The Doctor was running around the console, using his fists and his hammer to get the TARDIS going. Clara winced every time he hit the controls.

The Doctor followed the taxi's progress on the monitor. Sparks flew from the TARDIS controls and it tilted. Clara grabbed on for dear life.

"Behave!" the Doctor said, hitting it with his hammer.

"Don't hit her and she might!" Clara said.

Instead of materializing, the TARDIS flew right beside the taxi Donna was in, spinning through the air.

"Keep pressing that button right there!" the Doctor shouted to Clara. She pressed it down and steered the TARDIS as the Doctor ran to the doors and threw them open. The TARDIS was beside the taxi, going alone the motorway.

"Open the door!" the Doctor shouted.

Clara furrowed her eyebrows in concentration as she tried to keep the TARDIS lined up with the taxi. Suddenly, the taxi pulled away from the TARDIS, speeding up.

"Flip the switch!" the Doctor shouted at Clara.

"Um..." she said, looking at about ten different switches. She randomly pulled one, making the console explode in small places. The TARDIS banged the roof of a car before getting back in line with the taxi.

"Come on, girl," she said. "Keep it together."

Donna finally jumped into the TARDIS, landing on top of the Doctor on the floor. The doors slammed shut and Clara let go of the button, which caused the TARDIS to pull away from the taxi into the air. The Doctor came to her rescue and set the TARDIS down on a roof top. Donna and Clara immediately ran out, as there was smoke billowing out from the console. The Doctor was using an extinguisher, coughing, trying to get rid of the smoke.

"The funny thing is, for a spaceship, she doesn't really do that much flying," the Doctor said, joining Donna and Clara outside. "We'd better give her a couple of hours. You all right?"

"Doesn't matter," Donna said, shrugging.

"Yeah, it does," Clara said softly.

"Did we miss it?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah," Donna said.

"Well, you can book another date..." the Doctor said.

"Course we can," Donna said.

"Still got the honeymoon..." the Doctor said.

"It's just a holiday now," Donna said.

"Yeah...yeah...sorry," the Doctor said.

"It's not either of your faults," Donna said.

"Oh! That's a change," the Doctor said.

"A nice change," Clara said.

"Wish we had a time machine," Donna said. "Then we could go back and get it right."

"...Yeah, yeah," the Doctor said. "But...even if I did, I couldn't go back on someone's personal timeline. Apparently."

Donna looked suspiciously between Clara and the Doctor before going to sit on the edge of the roof. The Doctor and Clara both sat next to her. The Doctor took off his jacket and draped it around Donna's shoulders.

"You're skinny," Donna said. "This wouldn't fit a rat."

"It fits me, and I'm not a rat," Clara said.

"Oh, and you'd better put this on," the Doctor said, taking what looked like a wedding ring out of his pocket. A jealous streak went through Clara.

"Oh, do you have to rub it in?" Donna asked.

"Those creatures can trace you," the Doctor said. "This is a bio-damper. Should keep you hidden."

He slipped it on her finger.

"With this right, I thee bio-damp."

"For better or for worse," Donna said.

Clara glared at the ground way down below them.

"So, come one then," Donna said. "Robot Santas—what are they for?"

"Ah, your basic robo-scavenger," the Doctor said.

"Or a pilot fish," Clara said.

The Doctor nodded and said, "The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in. Clara and I met them last Christmas."

"Why, what happened then?" Donna asked.

"...Great big spaceship?" the Doctor said. "Hovering over London? You didn't notice?"

"I had a bit of a hangover," Donna said dismissively.

Clara just rolled her eyes at the odd red-head.

"We spent Christmas Day just over there, the Powell Estate," the Doctor said, nodding in the direction of the now empty flat. "With her family. My friend, she had this family. Clara's family. Well, they were..."

Clara took his hand and squeezed it. The Doctor put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her head.

"Still...gone now," the Doctor said.

"Your friend, and cousin...who was she?" Donna asked.

"Question is, what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you? And how did you get inside the TARDIS? I don't know..." the Doctor said, changing the subject and pulling his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket. "What's your job?"

"I'm a secretary," Donna said.

"It's weird, I mean—you're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not important..." the Doctor said, scanning Donna.

"This friend of yours—just before she left, did she punch you in the face?" Donna asked.

"No, but she should have, because he's being RUDE!" Clara said.

"Stop bleeping me!" Donna said, whacking the sonic screwdriver to the side.

"What kind of secretary?" the Doctor said.

"I'm at HC Clements. It's where I met Lance. I was temping," Donna said. "I mean, it was all a bit posh, really. I'd spent the last two years at a double glazing firm. Well, I thought—I'm never gonna fit in here. And then he made me coffee. I mean, that just doesn't happen. Nobody gets the secretaries a coffee. And Lance—he's the head of HR! He don't need to bother with me! But he was nice, he was funny. And it turns out, he thought everyone else was really snotty, too. So that's how it started, me and him—one cup of coffee. That was it."

"When was this?" the Doctor asked.

"Six months ago," Donna said.

"Bit quick, to get married..." the Doctor said.

"With real love, time doesn't matter," Clara said.

"Well...and he insisted," Donna said. "And he nagged...and he nagged me...And he just wore me down and then finally, I just gave in."

Clara rolled her eyes. She was sure that wasn't how it had gone.

"What does HC Clements do?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, security systems, you know...entry codes, ID cards—that sort of thing," Donna said. "If you ask me, it's a posh name for 'locksmiths'."

"Keys..." the Doctor mused.

"Anyway, enough of my CV. Come on, it's time to face the consequences. Oh, this is gonna be so shaming. You can do the explaining, Martian-boy," Donna said.

"Yeah, I'm not from Mars," the Doctor said. Donna nodded, then took the Doctor's hand when he helped her up. He then reached down and helped Clara up.

"Oh, I had this great big reception all planned. Everyone's gonna be heartbroken," Donna said.

When they got to the reception, however, it looked like everyone was having a good time without the bride. Music was blaring out and everyone was dancing, drinking, eating, and laughing. Donna looked thunderstruck as she, the Doctor, and Clara walked in. A woman spotted Donna and froze, and the rest of the room followed her, all silent.

"You had the reception without me?" Donna asked.

"Donna...what happened to ya?" a man asked, stepping forward. Clara bet it was Lance, the fiance.

"You had the reception without me?" Donna asked, her voice rising.

There was an awkward pause, which the Doctor broke.

"Hello! I'm the Doctor!" he said cheerfully.

"They had the reception without me," Donna said, turning to him and Clara.

"Yes, I gathered," the Doctor said.

"That is just mean," Clara said.

"Well, it was all paid for—why not?" one woman asked.

"Thank you, Nerys," Donna said.

"Well, what were we supposed to do?" a woman asked, approaching Donna. "I got your silly little message in the end-'I'm on Earth?' Very funny. What the hell happened? How did you do it? I mean, what's the trick because I'd love to know-"

The whole room started talking at the same time, and Donna burst into tears. Everyone stopped talking and Lance went up and hugged Donna and everyone applauded. Donna winked at the Doctor and Clara over Lance's shoulder and Clara gave a smirk.

Not long after that, the reception continued on, and Donna joined in with the dancing.

"Wanna dance?" Clara asked the Doctor, who was leaning up against the bar with her.

"Nah," the Doctor said. "I don't dance."

"I seem to recall that you do," Clara smirked.

"Yeah, well, new me," the Doctor smirked back at her and she frowned. "Let me see your mobile."

Clara pulled it out of her pocket and handed it to him. He put on his brainy specs and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. He searched for HC Clements and soniced to speed it up. Clara looked over his shoulder as the result 'Sole Prop. TORCHWOOD' was displayed on the screen. She clenched her fists at the mere mention of Torchwood, as the Doctor handed her her phone back.

Still glaring at the bar, Clara was suddenly pulled with the Doctor over to a cameraman, who was taping everything.

"Do you have a tape of the ceremony?" the Doctor asked him.

"Yeah," the cameraman said. "Strangest thing I've ever seen, mate. I'm tellin' ya. I taped the whole thing—they've all had a look. They said 'sell it to "You've Been Framed."' I said 'more like the News.' Here we are..."

He played the tape and the camera zoomed in on Donna's face as she disintegrated into golden particles with a scream.

"What was that?" Clara asked, shocked.

"Can't be!" the Doctor said. "Play it again?"

"Clever, mind!" the cameraman said. "Good trick, I'll giver her that. I was clapping."

"But that looks like...Huon Particles!" the Doctor said, after watching the video again.

"What's that?" the cameraman asked.

"That's impossible, that's...ancient! Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, not for billions of years! So old that...it can't be hidden by a bio-damper!"

Clara followed after him as he ran to the window, and sure enough, there were Santas slowly making their way to the house. The two of them rushed over to Donna.

"Donna! Donna, they've found you," the Doctor said.

"But you said I was safe," Donna said.

"He was wrong," Clara said.

"The bio-damper doesn't work. We've got to get everyone out," the Doctor said.

"Oh, my gosh—it's all my family..." Donna said, looking around.

"Out the back door!" the Doctor said.

The three of them ran out the back door, only to stop right away. There were three Santas blocking their exit.

"Maybe not," the Doctor said, as they ran back inside. The Doctor darted over to another window to see more Santas.

"We're trapped," Donna said.

The Santas outside were holding some kind of remote, which they rose in the air. Clara remembered last Christmas and whipped around to look at the Christmas tree in the middle of the room.

"Christmas trees..." the Doctor said, echoing her thoughts.

"What about them?" Donna asked.

"They kill," the Doctor said, and then ran into the crowd. "Get away from the tree!"

"Don't touch the tree!" Donna said.

"Hurry, get away!" Clara shouted, waving her hand away from the tree.

"Get away from the Christmas trees, everyone get away from them!"

"Out!" Donna shouted, getting a group of small girls away from the trees. "Lance, tell them!"

"Stay away from the tree!" the Doctor said. "Stay away from the tree!"

"Oh, for goodness sakes, the man's an idiot! Why? What's a Christmas tree gonna...oh!" Donna's mother said, trailing off as an ornament started to float away from the tree. Suddenly, the ornaments started flying around the room, causing small explosions. Clara dove behind one of the large speakers in the room, while the Doctor ran to the DJ table. The Santas were in the room, lined up on the opposite side.

"Oi! Santa! Word of advice: if you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver..." the Doctor, then spoke into the microphone. "...don't let him near the sound system."

Clara clapped her hands over her ears as he held his sonic screwdriver to the microphone and amplifiers and it made a horrible, high-pitched screeching noise. The Santas vibrated until they fell to pieces. The Doctor removed his screwdriver and ran to examine the Santas. Clara picked herself up off the floor to join him.

He picked up the controls, which the Santas were using.

"Look at that—remote control for the decoration," the Doctor said, showing Clara and Donna. "But there's a second remote control for the robots. They're not scavengers anymore. I think someone's taken possession."

"Never mind all that, you're a doctor—people have been hurt," Donna said.

"Nah, they wanted you alive, look, they're not active now," the Doctor said, throwing Donna an ornament.

"All I'm saying—you could help," Donna said.

"Gotta think of the bigger picture...there's still a signal!" the Doctor said, holding a Santa head to his ear. With that, him and Clara took off. He was scanning the head with his sonic screwdriver when Donna joined them.

"There's someone behind this, directing the robo-force," the Doctor said.

"But why is it me? What have I done?" Donna asked.

"If we find the controller, we'll find that out," the Doctor said, then raised his sonic screwdriver into the air. "Oh! It's up there. Something in the sky."

A second later, the Doctor said, "I've lost the signal—Donna, we've got to get to your office, HC Clements. I think that's where it all started. Lance—is it Lance? Can you give us a lift?"

The Doctor then darted off without waiting for an answer. They all managed to pile into Lance's small car, even with Donna's large dress. When they reached HC Clements, they went straight for Donna's office and to a computer.

"This might just be a locksmiths, but HC Clements was brought up twenty-three years ago by the Torchwood Institute," the Doctor said.

"Who are they?" Donna asked.

"Horrible people," Clara said darkly.

"They were behind the battle of Canary Wharf," the Doctor said. All he got from Donna was blank silence.

"...Cyberman invasion," the Doctor said, but Donna just looked at him inquiringly. "Skies over London full of Daleks?"

"Oh, I was in Spain," Donna said.

"They had Cybermen in Spain," the Doctor said.

"Scuba diving," Donna said.

"That big picture, Donna—you keep on missing it," the Doctor said, darting over to another computer. "Torchwood was destroyed, but HC Clements stayed in business. I think...someone else came in and took over the operation," he said, whacking the monitor.

"That won't help, dear," Clara said, smiling.

"But what do they want with me?" Donna asked.

The Doctor turned to her and gave her his full attention.

"Somehow you've been dosed with Huon energy. And that's a problem because Huon energy hasn't existed since the Dark times. The only place you'd find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS. See? That's what happened. Say...that's the TARDIS," he said, showing Donna a mug, and then picked up a pencil. "And that's you. The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetized and WHAP! You were pulled inside the TARDIS."

"I'm a pencil inside a mug?" Donna asked weakly.

"Yes, you are," the Doctor said. "4H. Sums you up. Lance? What was HC Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?"

"I don't know, I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager," Lance said defensively.

The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and soniced the screen, and it instantly went to the screen the Doctor was looking for.

"Why am I even explaining myself?" Lance said. "What the hell are we talking about." 

"Oh, shut up," Clara muttered.

"They make keys, that's the point," the Doctor said. "And look at this...we're on the third floor."

"So, we go to another floor?" Clara said.

"Exactly," the Doctor said, going out to the lift. Clara, Donna, and Lance went out with him and waited to the lift to come down to their floor.

"Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes?" the Doctor asked. The lift finally made it and they all went inside. "Then how come when you look on the lift, there's a button marked 'lower basement?' There's a whole floor which doesn't exist on the official plans. So, what's down there, then?"

"Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?" Lance asked.

"No, I'm showing you this building's got a secret floor," the Doctor said.

"It needs a key," Donna said.

"I don't," the Doctor said, sonicing the lock.

"He almost never does," Clara said.

"Right then, thanks you two, Clara and I can handle this—see you later," the Doctor said.

"No chance, Martian," Donna said. "You're the man who keeps saving my life, I ain't letting you out of my sight." She joined the Doctor and Clara in the lift.

"Going down," the Doctor said.

"Lance?" Donna said pointedly.

"Maybe I should go to the police," Lance said.

"Inside," Donna said and Lance got into the lift.

"To honor and obey?" the Doctor said.

"Tell me about it, mate," Lance said.

"Oi!" Donna said.

"Yeah, watch it, Doctor," Clara warned as the lift doors closed and the lift went down. The doors opened to the lower basement, and Clara stepped out of the lift after the Doctor to a dark, wet corridor, that was lit with an eerie green light.

"Yuck," Clara said, wrinkling her nose.

"Where are we?" Donna asked. "Well, what goes on down here?"

"Let's find out..." the Doctor said.

"Do you think Mr. Clements knows about this place?" Donna asked.

"The mysterious HC Clements?" the Doctor asked. "I think he's part of it. Oh, look—transport."

"Seriously?" Clara asked.

The four of them were going down the corridor on their own electronic scooters. Clara snorted, and Donna suddenly burst out laughing. The Doctor and Clara both joined in, but Lance didn't.

"Oh, goodness," Clara said, wiping her eyes as they stopped at a door marked, 'Torchwood—authorized personnel only.' They left their scooters and the Doctor turned the wheel on the door and opened it to reveal a ladder.

"Wait here," the Doctor told Donna, Lance, and Clara. "Just need to get my bearings. Don't...do anything."

He pointed straight to Clara and then started up the ladder.

"You'd better come back," Donna said.

"Or I'll kill ya," Clara said to him.

"Donna...have you thought about this?" Lance asked her. "Properly? I mean, this is serious! What the hell are we gonna do?"

"Oh, I thought July," Donna said, like she wasn't really listening.

A few minutes later, the Doctor came back down, jumping off the last bit of the ladder.

"Thames flood barrier!" he said. "Right on top of us. Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath."

"What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?" Donna asked.

"I know! Unheard of," the Doctor said.

The four of them entered a laboratory, full of test tubes and chemistry equipment.

"Whoa," Clara said, looking around.

"Oh, look at this!" the Doctor said. "Stunning! Particle extrusion!"

"What does it do?" Donna asked.

"Particle extrusion," the Doctor said. "Hold on..." he ran over and tapped one of the test tubes. "Brilliant. They've been manufacturing Huon particles. In case my people got rid of Huons, they unraveled the atomic structure."

"Your people?" Lance asked. "Who are they? What company do you represent?"

"Oh, I'm a freelancer," the Doctor said. "But this lot are rebuilding them. They've been using the river! Extruding them through a flat hydrogen base so they've got the end result—Huon particles in liquid form."

He picked up a test tube full of Huon particles.

"And that's what's inside me?" Donna asked.

The Doctor only twisted a knob at the top of the test tube, making the Huon particles glow, and Donna with it.

"Oh, my gosh!" Donna exclaimed.

"Because the particles are inert—they need something living to catalyze inside and that's you," the Doctor said. "Saturate the body and then...HA!"

Both Clara and Donna jumped at that. The Doctor was going crazy with enthusiasm.

"The wedding! Yes, you're getting married, that's it! Best day of your life, walking down the aisle—oh, your body's a battleground! There's a chemical war inside! Adrenaline, acetylcholine, WHAM go the endorphins, oh, you're cooking! Yeah, you're like a walking oven! A pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away, the particles reach boiling point, SHAZAM!"

Donna reached forward and slapped him. Clara only smiled and shook her head. When would he learn?

"What did I do this time?" the Doctor asked indignantly.

"Are you enjoying this?" Donna asked.

"I think he is," Clara said, enjoying this. The Doctor relaxed, looking ashamed. Donna walked towards him.

"Right, just tell me—these particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?"

"Yes!" the Doctor said unconvincingly.

"Doctor...if your lot got rid of the Huon particles...why did they do that?" Donna asked.

"Because they were deadly," the Doctor said gently.

"Oh, my gosh..." Donna said.

"That _really_ helps, Doctor," Clara muttered.

"I'll sort it out, Donna," the Doctor said, giving Clara a look. "Whatever's been done to you, I'll reverse it. I'm not about to lose someone else."

Clara jumped at the sound of crashes and bangs from all around them.

"Oh, she is long since lost," a voice said. One of the walls opened to reveal a secret room with an enormous, round hole in the floor. "I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe...until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!"

"Oh, great," Clara said, as the walls of the room were lined with robots wearing black hoods that were armed.

"Someone's been digging...oh, very Torchwood," the Doctor said. "Drilled by laser. How far down does it go?"

"Down and down, all the way to the center of the Earth!" the voice said.

"Really? Seriously? What for?" the Doctor asked.

"Dinosaurs," Donna said.

"What?" the Doctor and Clara both asked. Clara looked at Donna strangely.

"Dinosaurs?" Donna said again.

"What are you on about, dinosaurs?" the Doctor said.

"That film, Under the Earth, with dinosaurs. Trying to help!" Donna said.

"That's not helping," the Doctor said.

"Yeah, not really," Clara said.

"Such a sweet couple," the voice said.

"Only a madman talks to thin air and trust me, you don't want to make me mad. Where are you?" the Doctor asked.

"High in the sky, floating so high on Christmas Night," the voice said.

"I didn't come all the way to talk on the intercom! Come on, let's have a look at you!" the Doctor said.

"Who are you with such command?" the voice asked.

"I'm the Doctor."

"Prepare your best medicines, doctor-man, for you will be sick at heart," the voice said.

A very large spider-looking woman teleported into the room, snarling and growling.

"The Racnoss...but that's impossible, you're one of the Racnoss!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"Empress of the Racnoss," she said.

"Oh, I hate spiders," Clara said, squirming.

"If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss? Or...are you the only one?" the Doctor asked.

"Such a sharp mind," the Empress said.

"That's it, the last of your kind," the Doctor said, then turned to Donna and Clara. "The Racnoss come from the Dark Times, billions of years ago, billions. They were carnivores, omnivores, they devoured whole planets."

"Racnoss are born starving, is that our fault?" the Empress asked.

"They eat people?" Donna asked.

"That is so Jurassic Park," Clara said.

"HC Clements,did he wear those—those, erm, black and white shoes?" the Doctor asked.

"He did! We used to laugh, we used to call him the fat cat in spats," Donna said.

"Eww!" Clara exclaimed, as the Doctor pointed to a web on the ceiling with the described pair of shoes still attached poking out.

"Oh, my gosh!" Donna exclaimed.

"Mm, my Christmas dinner," the Empress cackled.

"You shouldn't even exist!" the Doctor said. "Way back in history, the Fledgling Empress went to war against the Racnoss—they were wiped out."

"Except for me," the Empress said.

"But that's what I've got inside me, that Huon energy thing. Oi! Look at me, lady, I'm talking. Where do I fit in? How come I get all stacked up with these Huon particles?" Donna asked, distracting the Empress from the fact that Lance was sneaking up behind her with an axe. "Look at me, you! Look me in the eye and tell me."

"The bride is so feisty!" the Empress said.

"Yes, I am!" Donna said and Clara snorted in agreement. "And I don't know what you are, you big...thing. But a spider's just a spider and an axe is an axe! Now, do it!"

Lance swung the axe and the Empress spun around and hissed. Then, Lance stopped. He glanced at Donna and started to laugh and the Empress laughed with him.

"That was a good one," Lance said to the Empress. "Your face!"

"Lance is funny," the Empress said.

"What?" Donna asked, not getting it.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said quietly.

"Sorry for what?" Donna asked. "Lance, don't be so stupid! Get her!"

"She's thick," Lance said.

"And you're the world's biggest prat," Clara snarled.

Donna only looked at Lance in confusion.

"Months I had to put up with her. Months. A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map," Lance said.

"I don't understand," Donna said, not comprehending.

"How did you meet him?" the Doctor asked.

"In the office," Donna said.

"He made you coffee," the Doctor said.

"What?" Donna asked.

"Every day, I made you coffee," Lance said slowly, as if addressing a stupid person.

"You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months," the Doctor said.

"He was poisoning me?" Donna asked.

"With Huon particles," Clara said, nodding.

"It was all there in the job title—the Head of Human Resources," the Doctor said.

"This time, it's personal," Lance said, as he and the Racnoss laughed again.

"But...we were getting married," Donna said.

"Well, I couldn't risk you running off," Lance said. "I had to say yes. And then I was stuck with a woman who thinks the height of excitement is a new flavor Pringle. Oh, I had to sit there and listen to all that yap, yap, yap-'oh, Brad and Angelina—is Posh pregnant?' X-Factor, Atkins Diet, Feng Shui, split ends, text me, text me, text me, the never ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia."

Clara felt sorry for poor Donna as she saw her face as she took the verbal abuse.

"I deserve a medal," Lance said.

"You deserve a fat kick up the rear end," Clara said.

"Oh, is that what she's offered you?" the Doctor asked, referring to the medal. "The Empress of the Racnoss? What are you? Her consort?"

"It's better than a night with her," Lance said, meaning Donna.

"But I love you," Donna said.

"That's what made it easy," Lance said nastily. "It's like you said, Doctor—the big picture—what's that point of it all if the Human Race is nothing? That's what the Empress can give me. The chance to...go out there. To see it. The size of it all. I think you understand that, don't you, Doctor?"

"Who is this little physician?" the Empress asked.

"What she said—Martian," Lance said.

"Oh, I'm sort of...homeless," the Doctor said. "But the point is, what's down here? The Racnoss are extinct. What's gonna help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, isn't it?"

"I think he wants us to talk," Lance said.

"I think so, too," the Empress said.

"Oh, give them a prize," Clara said sarcastically.

"Well, tough!" Lance said, glaring at Clara. "All we need is Donna!"

"Well, tough!" Clara mimicked Lance. "You ain't getting her!"

"Kill this chattering little doctor-man and his woman friend!" the Empress said.

"Don't you hurt them!" Donna said, standing in front of the Doctor and Clara.

"No, no, it's all right," the Doctor said.

"It is?" Clara whispered.

"No, I won't let them!" Donna said, frightened.

"At arms!" the Empress said, and the robots pointed their guns at the Doctor and Clara.

"Ah, now," the Doctor said. "Except."

"Take aim!" the Empress said.

"Well, I just want to point out the obvious-" the Doctor said.

"They won't hit the bride," the Empress said. "They're such very good shots."

"Just—just—just—hold on, just a tick, just a tiny—just a little—tick," the Doctor said, putting Clara behind him. "If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So, reverse it...the spaceship comes to her."

He twisted the tube of Huon particles again, which caused the particles in the tube and in Donna to glow.

"Fire!" the Empress shouted.

By the time the robots fired, it was too late. The TARDIS had already materialized around the Doctor, Clara, and Donna.

"Off we go!" the Doctor said, running to the console. He then dematerialized the TARDIS, getting them out of there. "Oh, you know what I said before about time machines? Well, I lied. And now we're gonna use it. We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something's buried at the planet core, it must've been there since the beginning. That's just brilliant. Molto bene! I've always wanted to see this. Donna, Clara—we're going further back than we've ever been before."

Clara was standing with Donna, one arm around her shoulders and the other rubbing Donna's back as Donna was sobbing silently.

"Shh, it'll be okay," Clara whispered. "He was just a wanker. You deserve better. Shh."

"We've arrived...want to see?" the Doctor asked Donna.

"I s'pose," Donna said unenthusiastically.

"Oh, that scanner's a bit small," the Doctor said, spinning the monitor around. "Maybe your way's best. Come on."

He went to the door and waited for Donna and Clara. Donna stood up and she and Clara joined him.

"No human's ever seen this," the Doctor said. "You two'll be the first."

"All I want to see is my bed," Donna said.

"It's okay, sweetie," Clara said, soothingly rubbing her back again.

Donna Noble, Clara Tyler—welcome to the creation of the Earth," the Doctor said.

He opened the door and Clara's eyes widened and Donna's mouth fell open at the spectacular sight before them. The sun was there with beautiful colored dust and gas clouds with huge rocks floating around.

"We've gone back 4.6 billion years," the Doctor said. "There's no solar system, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas. That's the Sun over there, brand new. Just beginning to burn."

"Where's the Earth?" Donna asked.

"All around us...in the dust," the Doctor said.

"It's beautiful," Clara said.

"Puts the wedding in perspective," Donna said. "Lance was right. We're just...tiny."

"No, but that's what you do," the Doctor said. The Human Race. Making sense out of chaos. Marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars. This whole process is beautiful, but only if it's being observed."

"So, I came out of all this?" Donna asked.

"Isn't that brilliant?" the Doctor asked.

A large piece of rock floated in front of the TARDIS and Donna said, "I think that's the Isle of Wight."

The three of them laughed.

"Eventually, gravity takes hold," the Doctor said. "Say, one big rock, heavier than the others, starts to pull other rocks towards it. All the dust and gas and elements get pulled in, everything, piling in until you get the..."

"Earth," Donna finished.

"But the question is...what was that first rock?" the Doctor asked.

"Look," Donna said, as a star-shaped rock emerged through the clouds.

"The Racnoss..." the Doctor whispered. He rushed back to the console, turning a wheel. "Hold on—the Racnoss are hiding from the war! What's it doing?"

All the particles, rocks, and dust were zooming towards the Racnoss.

"Exactly what you said," Donna said.

"Making the Earth," Clara said, stunned.

"Oh, they didn't just bury something at the center of the Earth...they became the centre of the Earth. The first rock," the Doctor said, running back to the door.

Clara went flying to the floor as a violent shaking went through the TARDIS.

"What was that?" Donna asked. Donna and the Doctor had stayed on their feet as Clara got back on her's.

"Trouble," the Doctor said, slamming the doors shut.

Clara clung to the railing as the TARDIS continued to shudder and shake.

"What the hell's it doing?" Donna yelled.

"Remember that little trick I pulled—particles pulling particles. It works in reverse—they're pulling us back!" the Doctor said.

"Wonderful!" Clara shouted.

The Doctor was trying to pilot the TARDIS, but it was beyond his control.

"Well, can't you stop it?" Donna asked. "Hasn't it got a handbrake? Can't you reverse or wrap or beam or something?"

"Backseat driver," the Doctor said. "Oh! Wait a minute!"

He pulled out the extrapolator from underneath the console.

"The extrapolator!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Can't stop us, but it should give us a good bump!"

The Doctor whacked the extrapolator and shouted, "Now!"

The TARDIS had disappeared and reappeared down the corridor from the chamber where the Racnoss was. The Doctor, Donna, and Clara all appeared out of the TARDIS.

"We're about 200 yards to the right. Come on!" the Doctor said, and they all ran. They arrived at the door with the ladder that led to the Thames.

"But what do we do?" Donna asked, breathless and scared.

"I don't know!" the Doctor said, listening to the door with his stethoscope. "I make it up as I go along! But trust me, I've got a history."

"It's true," Clara said. "He never really has a plan."

"But I still don't understand. I'm full of particles—but what for?" Donna asked.

"There's a Racnoss web at the center of the Earth, but my people unraveled their power source. The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss are stuck," the Doctor said.

Clara struggled as a robot grabbed her from behind,covering her mouth, dragging her away, the same with Donna.

The two of them were taken back to the room with the Racnoss and tied up in a web on the ceiling with Lance.

"I hate you," Donna said to Lance.

"Yeah, I think we've gone a bit beyond that now, sweetheart," Lance said.

"If I get down from here, I'm going to kick you right where it counts," Clara snarled at him.

"My golden couple," the Racnoss said. "Together at last—your awful wedded life. Tell me, do you want to be released?"

"Yes!" Lance, Donna, and Clara all said.

"You're supposed to say 'I do'," the Empress said.

"Ha. No chance," Lance said.

"Say it!" the Empress said.

"I do," Lance said, looking at Donna.

"I do," Donna said.

"I don't," the Empress said, cackling. "Activate the particles. Purge every last one!"

Donna and Lance both began to glow.

"And release!" the Empress said.

The particles went from Donna and Lance and fell into the hole into the ground.

"The secret heart unlocks. And they will waken from their sleep of Ages," the Empress said.

"Who will? What's down there?" Donna asked.

"How thick are you?" Lance asked.

"Shut up, you wanker," Clara snarled.

"My children, the long lost Racnoss. Now will be born to feast on flesh!" the Empress said.

"And we're the food," Clara said. "Of course.

There was a chirping of the spiders and patters of feet coming from the hole.

"The web-star shall come to me," the Empress said. "My babies will be hungry. They need sustenance. Perish the web."

"Use them! Not me! Use them!" Lance said.

"Oh, my funny little Lance! But you are quite impolite to your lady-friends. The Empress does not approve," the Empress said.

The web around Lance loosened and he tumbled down into the hole, screaming.

"Harvest the humans! Reduce them to meat," the Empress said. "My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them! So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor-man," she said, turning to a robot.

The Doctor removed his mask and cloak.

"Oh, well. Nice try. I've got you, Donna and Clara!" the Doctor said, aiming his sonic screwdriver up at them and the web loosened.

"I'm gonna fall!" Donna screeched.

"You're gonna swing!" the Doctor said. Both Donna and Clara had grabbed onto the same web and each other as they swung right over the hole and towards the Doctor.

"I've got ya!" the Doctor said, his arms outstretched.

Both Donna and Clara screamed as they went right underneath the Doctor and smashed into the wall. The Empress smirked.

"Ooh, that bloody hurt," Clara said, rubbing her forehead.

"...oh. Sorry," the Doctor said.

Donna was eagle-spread on the floor and Clara helped her up.

"You'd better be," Clara said.

"Thanks for nothing," Donna said.

"The doctor-man amuses me," the Empress said.

"Empress of the Racnoss—I give you one last chance," the Doctor said. "I can find you a planet. I can find you a place in the universe to coexist. Take that offer and end this now."

"These men are so funny," the Empress said.

"You have no idea," Clara said.

"What's your answer?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh—I'm afraid I have to decline," the Empress said, laughing.

"What happens next is your own doing," the Doctor said.

"I'll show you what happens next. At arms!" the Empress hissed. The robots raised their guns. "Take aim! And-"

"Relax," the Doctor said quietly. The robots went limp.

"What did you do?" Donna asked.

"Guess what I've got, Donna?" the Doctor said, pulling the remote from the reception out of his pocket. "Pockets."

"How did that fit in there?" Donna asked.

"They're bigger on the inside," the Doctor said.

"Just like the TARDIS!" Clara said enthusiastically.

"Robo-forms are not necessary," the Empress said. "My children may feast on Martian flesh."

"Oh, but I'm not from Mars," the Doctor said.

"Then where?" the Empress said.

"My home planet is far away and long-since gone," the Doctor said. "But its name lives on. Gallifrey."

"They murdered the Racnoss!" the Empress said, suddenly looking murderous.

"I warned you," the Doctor said. "You did this."

He pulled a handful of Christmas ornaments out of his pocket.

"No! No! Don't! No!" the Empress said, panicking.

The Doctor threw several of the ornaments into the air. Some surrounded the Empress and some smashed through the walls of the corridor, letting the water from the Thames flood into the room. Clara was ready to scramble up the stairs, but the water never reached her and Donna. Instead, the water flooded down the hole.

"My children!" the Empress wailed, grief-stricken.

Clara stood, watching the Racnoss die, feeling good. Torchwood had built this, and now they could pay, along with the Racnoss.

"No! My children! My children!" the Empress was now hysterical and was consumed by flame.

"Doctor! You can stop now!" Donna said and Clara jerked back to reality.

The Doctor still watched the Racnoss, then turned and said, "Come on! Time I got you two out!"

The three of them ran up the stairs, all of them soaking wet.

"But what about the Empress?" Donna asked as she, Clara, and the Doctor climbed the ladder.

"She's used up all her Huon energy—she's defenseless!" the Doctor said.

The three of them reached the top of the ladder and they climbed out into the night. In the sky, the Racnoss' ship was exploding. The Doctor, Donna, and Clara whooped and cheered in deligh.

"Just...there's one problem," Donna said.

"What's that?" the Doctor asked.

"We've drained the Thames," Donna said.

"Right into the Earth's core," Clara said with realization.

The three of them suddenly burst out laughing. Making their way back to the TARDIS, the Doctor materialized right outside of Donna's house. Clara stepped out of the TARDIS with the Doctor and Donna.

"There we go," the Doctor said. "Told you she'd be all right. She can survive anything."

"'Cos she's amazing," Clara said.

"More than I've done," Donna said.

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and scanned Donna.

"Nope! All the Huon particles have gone," the Doctor said. "No damage, you're fine."

"Yeah, but apart from that...I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow on the same day. Sort of," Donna said.

"I couldn't save him," the Doctor said.

"He deserved it," Donna said. Clara looked at Donna, not believing her. Donna's face then softened.

"No, he didn't," Donna said, looking at the house. "I'd better get inside. They'll be worried."

"Best Christmas present they could have," the Doctor said. The three of them watched Donna's mother and grandfather hug through the window. "Oh, no, I forgot—you hate Christmas."

"Yes, I do," Donna said.

"Even if it snows?" the Doctor asked, reaching to the TARDIS to press a hidden switch and a ball of light shot out of the top and into the sky, where is exploded like a firework. Snow started falling softly and Donna laughed with delight.

"I can't believe you did that!" Donna said.

"It's beautiful," Clara said, catching snow on her tongue.

"Oh, basic atmospheric excitation," the Doctor said casually. He grinned at Donna and Clara and they smiled back.

"Merry Christmas," Donna said.

"Merry Christmas," Clara repeated.

"And you," the Doctor said. "So...what will you do with yourself now?"

"Not getting married for starters," Donna said. "And I'm not gonna temp anymore. I dunno...travel...see a bit more of planet Earth...walk in the dust. Just...go out there and do something."

"Well, you could always..." the Doctor said.

"What?" Donna asked.

"...come with me and Clara..." the Doctor said tentatively.

"No," Donna said, smiling.

"Okay," the Doctor said quickly.

"I can't..." Donna said.

"No, that's fine," the Doctor said.

"No, but really...everything we did today...do you two live your life like that?" Donna asked.

"Pretty much," Clara said, at the same time the Doctor said unconvincingly, "...Not all the time."

"I think you do," Donna said. "And I couldn't."

"But you've seen it out there. It's beautiful," the Doctor said.

"Very beautiful," Clara said.

"And it's terrible," Donna said. "That place was flooding and burning and they were dying and you both just stood there like...I don't know...strangers. And then you made it snow—I mean, you two scare me to death!"

"Nice to know," Clara muttered.

"Well, then," the Doctor said after a short silence.

"Tell you what I will do though—Christmas dinner. Oh, come on," Donna said.

"I don't do that sort of thing," the Doctor said.

"You did it last year, you said so," Donna said. "And you might as well because Mum always cooks enough for twenty."

"Oh, all right then," the Doctor said, after oo-ing and ahh-ing in his reluctance. "But you go first, better warn them. And...don't say I'm a Martian. I just have to park her properly, she might drift off to the Middle Ages. We'll see you in a minute."

He pulled Clara into the TARDIS with him, and started to dematerialize the TARDIS. After a moment, they heard Donna yelling out, "Doctor! Clara! Doctor!"

The Doctor rolled his eyes, stopped the engines, and popped his head out the door.

"Blimey, you can shout," he said, and Clara stuck her head out also.

"Am I ever gonna see you two again?" Donna asked.

"If we're lucky," the Doctor said.

"Just...promise me one thing; keep Clara with you," Donna said.

"Aye, aye, Captain," Clara said, saluting Donna.

"And be sure to stop him some times, because I think he needs it," Donna said.

"Yeah," the Doctor said quietly. "Thanks, Donna—good luck—and just...be magnificent."

"I think I will, yeah," Donna said, laughing.

The Doctor and Clara went back into the TARDIS and Donna called out again, "Doctor? Clara?"

"Oh, what is it now?" the Doctor asked with mock exasperation, opening the door.

"That friend of yours...your cousin, Clara...what was her name?" Donna asked.

"Her name was Rose," the Doctor said, and Clara swallowed back tears. The Doctor shut the door again and dematerialized the TARDIS into the unknown.


	29. Smith and Jones

**Smith and Jones (and Tyler)**

Clara sighed with boredom as she sat by the Doctor's hospital bed. He had been rambling on for the last hour about why they were even there in the first place, though he had explained it to her already. He had found some electrical currents around the hospital on the TARDIS and had decided to check himself in with the excuse of abdominal pains to investigate.

She closed her eyes, humming a random tune to herself, still bored. The Doctor nudged her knee and grinned at her when she opened her eyes.

"Bored?" he said.

"What gave it away?" Clara asked sarcastically.

He grinned again. "Well, here come the medical students. Time for a bit of fun," the Doctor said.

"Just be careful," Clara warned.

Mr. Stoker, the 'teacher,' led all of the students.

"Now then, Mr. Smith, Miss Tyler, a very good morning to both of you. How are you today?" he asked the Doctor.

"Aw, not so bad, still a bit, you know. Blah," the Doctor said.

"John Smith, admitted yesterday with sever abdominal pains. Jones, why don't you see what you can find? Amaze me," Mr. Stoker said. Clara covered up a giggle. Every time she though of his name, she thought of Dracula.

"That wasn't very clever, running around outside, was it?" an African-American woman said, walking up to the Doctor's bed.

"Sorry?" the Doctor asked, confused.

"On Chancery Street this morning," Jones said. "You came up to me and took your tie off. And she was with you, smirking."

"Me?" Clara asked, confused.

"Really? What did I do that for?" the Doctor asked.

"I don't know, you just did," the woman said.

"Not me," the Doctor said. "I was here, in bed. Ask Clara or the nurses."

"He was," Clara said. "Didn't move from this bed."

"Well, that's weird, cause it looked like you," Jones said. "Have you got a brother? Or twin sister?" she looked at Clara.

"Nope, not me," Clara said.

"No, not any more," the Doctor said. "Just me and Clara."

"As time passes and I grow ever more infirm and weary, Miss Jones," Mr. Stoker said.

"Sorry," Jones said. "Right."

Clara winced as Jones put her stethoscope to the Doctor's chest and looked puzzled. She moved the stethoscope to the other side of his chest. She panicked, thinking that the student would report them. The Doctor winked at Jones, though.

"I weep for future generations," Mr. Stoker said. "Are you having trouble locating the heart, Miss Jones?"

"Um. I don't know," Jones said. "Stomach cramps?"

"That is a symptom, not a diagnosis," Mr. Stoker said. "And you rather failed basic techniques by not consulting first with the patient's chart."

He picked up the chart, but dropped it immediately, as it gave him a rather nasty shock.

"That happened to me this morning," Jones said.

"I had the same thing on the door handle," one student said.

"And me, on the lift," said another.

"That's only to be expected," Mr. Stoker said. "There's a thunderstorm moving in and lightning is a form of static electricity, as was first proven by—anyone?"

"Benjamin Franklin," the Doctor said.

"Correct!" Mr. Stoker said.

"My mate, Ben, that was a day and a half. I got rope burns off that kite, and then I got soaked..." the Doctor said.

"Quite..." Mr. Stoker said.

"...and then I got electrocuted!" the Doctor said, and Clara just wanted to smack her forehead with her palm. What part of blend in didn't he understand?

"Moving on," Mr. Stoker said. "I think perhaps a visit from psychiatric. And next we have-"

And with that, he moved on with his medical students.

"Really, Doctor? Benjamin Franklin?" Clara asked.

"What? He was my friend!" the Doctor said.

"Yeah, but that doesn't blend us in," Clara said.

"I told you I was gonna have fun with them," the Doctor said, grinning at her. "Well, time to investigate."

He got up, in his dressing gown, and moved out of the room, with Clara keeping an eye out behind them. They passed by the kitchen in the hospital, where the medical student, Jones, was talking on her mobile. The Doctor looked in, then moved on.

They were a ways down the corridor when the shaking started. The Doctor grabbed Clara, the both of them using the walls to hold themselves up. When it stopped, Clara looked around in bewilderment.\

"What was that?" Clara exclaimed.

"Dunno, but I think we'll find out," the Doctor said.

"Um, Doctor? We're on the moon," Clara said, glancing out a window.

"Oh, look at that! We are!" the Doctor said, also glancing out, before moving on, back to their room. Clara stood watch, while the Doctor pulled the curtain around his bed shut, changing into his suit.

The student, Jones, was going over to the window.

"It's real. It's really real. Hold on!" Jones said. She reached out for the window latch and the other student with her sobbed out, "Don't! We'll lose all the air!"

"But they're not exactly air tight," Jones said. "If the air was going to get sucked out, it would have happened straight away, but it didn't. So how come?"

Clara was impressed with this doctor-in-training. That was really smart. In fact, she hadn't even thought about that.

"Very good point!" the Doctor said, pulling the curtain back, startling Clara. "Brilliant, in fact. What was your name?"

"Martha," said said.

"And it was Jones, wasn't it?" the Doctor asked, and she nodded. "Well then, Martha Jones, the question is, how are we still breathing?"

"We can't be!" the other student wailed.

"Obviously we are, so don't waste my time," the Doctor said.

"Rude, dear," Clara whispered.

"Sorry," the Doctor said, rolling his eyes. "Now, Martha, what have we got? Is there a balcony on this floor, or a veranda, or...?"

"By the patients' lounge, yeah," Martha said.

"Fancy going out?" the Doctor asked, holding his arm out to Clara.

"Of course, dear," Clara said, taking it, smiling.

"Okay," Martha said.

"We might die," the Doctor said.

"We might not," Martha said.

"Good! C'mon. Not her, she'd hold us up," the Doctor said, gesturing to the other student.

"Be nice," Clara said, gently swatting his arm as they followed Martha to the veranda.

"We've got air!" Martha exclaimed, as they stepped out onto the balcony. "How does that work?"

"Just be glad it does," the Doctor said.

"I sure am," Clara said, taking a deep breath.

"I've got a party tonight," Martha said. "It's my brother's twenty-first. My mother's going to be really...really..."

"You okay?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah," Martha said.

"Sure?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah," Martha repeated.

"Want to go back in?" the Doctor asked.

"No way," Martha said. "I mean, we could die any minute, but all the same—it's beautiful."

"That it is," Clara said.

"You think?" the Doctor asked.

"How many people want to go to the moon?" Martha asked. "And here we are!"

"Standing in the earthlight," the Doctor said.

"Which is gorgeous," Clara said, looking down on her home planet.

"What do you two think happened?" Martha asked.

"What do you think?" the Doctor asked her in return.

"Extraterrestrial," Martha said. "It's got to be. I don't know, a few years ago, that would have sounded mad, but these days? That spaceship flying into Big Ben—Christmas—those Cybermen things. I had a cousin. Adeola. She worked at Canary Wharf. She never came home."

"Neither did my cousin," Clara said, thinking of Rose, who disappeared to the parallel world.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor told Martha.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, too," Martha told Clara.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"We were there," the Doctor said to Martha. "In the battle."

"I promise you, Mr. Smith and Miss Tyler, we will find a way out," Martha said. "If we can travel to the moon, then we can travel back. There's got to be a way."

"It's not Smith, that's not my name," the Doctor said.

"Who are you then?" Martha asked, looking between Clara and the Doctor.

"I'm really Clara Tyler," Clara said.

"I'm the Doctor," he said.

"Me, too, if I can pass by exams," Martha said. "What is it, then? Doctor Smith?"

"Jus the Doctor," he said.

"How do you mean, just the Doctor?" Martha asked.

"Just like he said," Clara said.

"Just...the Doctor," he said.

"What, people call you 'the Doctor'?" Martha asked.

"Yeah," the Doctor said.

"We do," Clara said.

"Well, I'm not," Martha said. "As far as I'm concerned, you've got to earn that title."

Clara snorted.

"Well, I'd better make a start, then," the Doctor said, giving Clara a look. "Let's have a look."

He picked up a pebble and threw it. "There must be some sort of force field keeping the air in."

"If that's like a bubble sealing us in, that means this is the only air we've got. What happens when it runs out?" Martha asked.

"How many people in this hospital?" the Doctor asked.

"I don't know, a thousand?" Martha asked.

"One thousand people. Suffocating," the Doctor said.

"We've got to help them," Clara said.

"Why would anyone do that?" Martha asked.

"Head's up! Ask them yourself," the Doctor said.

A large spaceship arrived and landed on the moon near the hospital. From far away, Clara thought the aliens marching out of the ship looked like ants, but she could tell that they weren't really.

"Aliens," Martha said, amazed. "That's aliens. Real, proper aliens."

"Judoon," the Doctor said, naming them.

The Doctor, Clara, and Martha made their way from the balcony to the hospital reception area where the Judoon were entering. They hid on the next level up, behind some potted plants.

"Oh, look down there, you've got a little shop. I love little shops!" the Doctor exclaimed.

Clara rolled her eyes at his child-like enthusiasm.

"Never mind that!" Martha said. "What are Judoon?"

"Galactic police," the Doctor said. "Well, police for hire. More like interplanetary thugs."

"And they brought us to the moon?" Martha asked.

"Neutral territory," the Doctor said. "According to galactic law, they've got no jurisdiction over the Earth, and they isolated us. That rain? Lightning? That was them, using an H2O scoop."

"You said you didn't know what it was," Clara scolded.

"Yeah, I lied," the Doctor said, rubbing his neck, knowing he was in trouble. Clara gave him a stern look. "It would've taken too long to explain!"

"All right," Clara said, shaking her head.

"What's that about 'galactic law'?" Martha asked. "Where'd you get that from? If they're police, are we under arrest? Are we trespassing on the moon or something?"

"No," the Doctor said. "But I like that. Good thinking. No, it's more simple. They're making a catalog, it means they're after something non-human, which is very bad news for me."

"Why?" Martha asked, and both he and Clara just looked at her. "Oh, you're kidding me. Don't be ridiculous. Stop looking at me like that."

"Come on, then," the Doctor said getting up and the three of them left. They found an office, where the Doctor started examining the computer with Clara, while Martha kept watch outside. He was scanning the computer with his sonic screwdriver when Martha came in.

"They've reached third floor," Martha said, then gestured to the screwdriver. "What's that thing?"

"Sonic screwdriver," the Doctor answered.

"Well, if you're not going to answer me properly!" Martha said.

"No, really, it is," the Doctor said. "It's a screwdriver, and it's sonic. Look."

"It really is," Clara insisted.

"What else have you got? A laser spanner?" Martha asked.

"I did, but it was stolen by Emily Pankhurst, cheeky woman," the Doctor said and Clara rolled her eyes, grinning. The Doctor then hit the computer. "Oh, this computer!"

"It doesn't help if you hit it, Sweetie," Clara said sweetly.

The Doctor then rolled his eyes and said, "The Judoon must have locked it down. Judoon platoon upon the moon. Cause we were just traveling past, I swear, we were just wondering, we weren't looking for trouble, honestly, we weren't, but I noticed these plasma coils around the hospital, and that lightning, that's plasma coils, been building up for two days now, so I checked in with Clara, I thought something was going on inside, it turns out the plasma coils were the Judoon up above."

"But what were they looking for?" Martha asked.

"Something that looks human, but isn't," the Doctor said.

"Like you," Martha said. "Apparently."

"Like me, but not me," the Doctor said.

"Haven't they got a photo?" Martha asked.

"Might be a shape-changer," the Doctor said.

"Just our luck, it is," Clara said.

"Whatever it is, can't you just leave the Judoon to find it?" Martha asked.

"If they declare the hospital guilty of harboring a fugitive, they'll sentence it to execution," the Doctor said.

"All of us?" Martha asked.

"'Fraid so," Clara said. "Which is why we're here to help."

"If we can find this thing first...Oh! Just that they're thick! Judoon are thick! They are completely thick! They wiped the records. Oh, that's clever," the Doctor said.

"What are we looking for?" Martha asked.

"I don't know," the Doctor said. "Any patient admitted in the past week with unusual symptoms. Maybe there's a back-up."

"Just keep working," Martha said. "I'll go ask Mr. Stoker, he might know."

"You like her, don't you?" Clara asked the Doctor.

"Sure, she's brilliant," the Doctor said.

"Thinking of asking her to come with us?" Clara asked.

"Dunno, we'll see," the Doctor said. "Finished here."

The two of them went out into the corridor, where they met up with Martha.

"I've restored the back-up," the Doctor said.

"I found her," Martha said.

"You what?" the Doctor asked.

"Who?" Clara said.

"Run!" the Doctor said, seeing the leather men behind Martha.

He took Clara's hand as they ran, followed by the slabs. They then met up with the Judoon, and ran down the stairs. They took off on the fourth floor, with the Slabs right behind them. The Doctor led them into the radiation room, where he then locked the door on the Slabs.

"When I say 'now,' press the button," the Doctor said.

"I don't know which one," Martha said.

"Find out!" the Doctor said.

"That's the thing about being with the Doctor," Clara said, as Martha went for the Operator's Manual. "You learn to press random buttons!"

"Now!" the the Doctor shouted, and Clara slammed her hand down on a big, yellow button. The Slab and the Doctor were both zapped with radiation and the Slab fell to the ground.

"What did you do?" Martha asked.

"Increased the radiation by five thousand percent. Killed him dead," the Doctor said.

"Isn't that likely to kill you?" Martha asked.

"Nah, it's only radiation," the Doctor said and Clara gave a sigh of relief. "We used to play with roentgen bricks in the nursery. It's safe for you two to come out, I've absorbed it all. All I need to do is expel it."

Clara giggled as he began to hop and bounce about.

"If I concentrate, I can shake the radiation out of my body and into one spot. It's in my left shoe. Here we go, here we go, easy does it..." he said, starting to shake his foot. "Out, out, out, out, out. Out, out, ah, ah, ah, ah. It is, it is, it is, it is, it is hot. Ah—hold on!"

He then threw his (in Clara's opinion) awesome shoe, complete with the sock, into the trashcan. ]

"Done," he said.

"You're completely mad," Martha said.

"That he is," Clara said, grinning at the one barefoot Doctor.

"Right," the Doctor said. "I look daft with one shoe."

He then took off the other shoe and it followed the first one into the trashcan.

"Barefoot on the moon!" he said, wiggling his toes.

"Completely mad," Clara repeated, shaking her head.

"So, what is that thing?" Martha asked, going over to the Slab. "And where's it from? The planet Zovirax?"

"It's just a Slab," the Doctor said. "They're called 'Slabs.' Basic slave drones, see? Solid leather, all the way through. Someone has got one hell of a fetish."

Clara snorted.

"Sure you don't want to know what for," she said, and it was then the Doctor's turn to snort.

"It came with that woman, Mrs. Finnegan," Martha said, looking at the pair of them oddly. "It was working for her. Just like a servant."

"My sonic screwdriver," the Doctor whined, taking what remained of his screwdriver out of the x-ray machine.

"I'm sure you can fix it, dear," Clara said, putting her hand on his shoulder. "You're a genius."

"She was one of the patients, but-" Martha continued on.

"My sonic screwdriver!" the Doctor still whined.

"Want some cheese with that whine?" Clara asked sarcastically.

"She had a straw like some kind of vampire," Martha said.

"I loved my sonic screwdriver!" the Doctor said.

"Doctor!" Clara and Martha both said.

"Sorry," the Doctor said, tossing away the left-over of his screwdriver, then smiled. "You called me 'Doctor'," he said to Martha.

"Anyway!" Martha said. "Mrs. Finnegan is the alien. She was drinking Mr. Stoker's blood."

"Way too Dracula for me," Clara said. "Stoker, getting his blood sucked out. Ironic."

"Funny time to take a snack," the Doctor said, giving Clara an amused look. "You'd think she'd be hiding. Unless—no. Yes, that's it, wait a minute. Yes! Shape-changer. Internal shape-changer. She wasn't drinking blood, she was assimilating it! If she can assimilate Mr. Stoker's blood, mimic the morphology, she can register as human. We've got to find her and show the Judoon. Come on!"

Clara was right on his heels as he took off running, with Martha right behind her. The three of them hid behind a water cooler, as the remaining Slab walked down the hallway past them.

"That's the thing about Slabs," the Doctor said. "They always travel in pairs."

"What about you two?" Martha asked.

"What about us what?" the Doctor asked and he and Clara looked at each other.

"Haven't you two got back-up? You must have another partner or something?" Martha said.

"You're lookin' at her," Clara said, grinning.

"Uh. Humans. We're stuck on the moon running out of air with Judoon and a bloodsucking criminal, you're asking personal questions," the Doctor said. "Come on."

"Oi! I'm human, too!" Clara protested.

"I like that," Martha said. "'Humans'." I'm still not convinced you're an alien."

They stepped out right in front of a Judoon, who shined a blue light in the Doctor's face.

"Non-human," the Judoon said.

"Oh, my gosh, you really are!" Martha exclaimed.

"Told you so," Clara said.

"And again!" the Doctor said, and the three of them took off running with the Judoon shooting after them. They ran up the stairs to the next floor where people were falling to the floor, gasping for breath.

"They've done this floor," the Doctor said. "Come on. The Judoon are logical and just a little bit thick. They won't go back to check a floor they've checked already. If we're lucky."

"Lucky?" Clara asked. "I thought you knew."

"Apparently not," he said, grinning.

"How much oxygen is there?" Martha asked the student that the Doctor had said would get in the way.

"Not enough for all these people," the woman said. "We're going to run out."

"How are you feeling? Are you all right?" the Doctor asked Martha and Clara.

"Never better," Clara said, used to the running.

"I'm running on adrenaline," Martha said.

"Welcome to our world," the Doctor said, smiling at Clara, who nodded.

"What about the Judoon?" Martha asked.

"Ah, great big lung reserves, it won't slow them down," the Doctor said. "Where's Mr. Stoker's office?"

"It's this way," Martha said, leading the way. As soon as they entered, Martha exclaimed, "She's gone! She was here."

The Doctor examined Mr. Stoker's body and said, "Drained him dry. Every last drop. I was right. She's a Plasmavore."

"What was she doing on Earth?" Martha asked.

"Hiding," the Doctor said. "On the run. Like Ronald Biggs in Rio de Janeiro. What's she doing now? She's still not safe. The Judoon could execute us all. Come on."

"Wait a minute," Martha said,and went back and closed Mr. Stoker's eyes.

They left into the corridor.

"Think, think, think," the Doctor said. "If I was a Plasmavore, surrounded by police, what would I do?"

"Stay out of sight," Clara said.

"Yes, but, aah!" the Doctor said, seeing the MRI sign. "She's as clever as me. Almost."

"Find the non-human. Execute," the Judoon were saying nearby.

"You both need to stay here. I need time," the Doctor said. "You're going to have to hold them up."

"How do we do that?" Martha asked.

The Doctor only grabbed Clara and planted one right on her. He pulled away too soon, though, and gave Clara a pleading look that said, 'forgive me.'

"Martha, forgive me for this," he said, speaking more to Clara. "It's to save a thousand lives, it mean nothing. Honestly, nothing."

He then pecked Martha on the lips and Clara fumed as he ran off.

"That was nothing?" Martha asked, stunned.

"Yeah, it was nothing," Clara nearly snarled.

"Sorry," Martha said, looking ashamed. "It's just that...not everyday, someone kisses you, even if it is to save the hospital."

"It's alright," Clara said grudgingly. "I just tend to get really jealous when it comes to the Doctor. I love him, see."

It was then that the Judoon found them.

"Find the non-human. Execute," the Judoon said.

"Now listen," Martha said. "I know who you're looking for. She's this woman. She calls herself Florence."

"Or Mrs. Finnigan," Clara said. "She'll register as human, but she's not."

The Judoon just examined Martha with his blue light.

"Human," the Judoon said. "With non-human traits suspected. Non-human element confirmed. Authorize full scan. What are you? What are you?"

The Judoon marked an 'X' on Martha's hand.

"Confirmed: human. Traces of facial contact with non-human. Continue the search," the Judoon said, then handed Martha a slip of paper. "You will need this."

"What's that for?" Martha asked.

"Compensation," the Judoon said.

They then moved on to Clara, who also registered as human with non-human facial contact. The Judoon then handed her a slip of paper.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Compensation," she said, waving her hand dismissively.

"Now, come on!" Martha said, leading the way to the MRI room. They entered, just as the Doctor slumped to the floor.

"No!" Clara cried.

"Now see what you've done," Mrs. Finnigan said. "This poor man just died of fright."

"Scan him!" the Judoon said. "Confirmation: deceased."

"No!" Clara shouted again, pushing her way through. "He can't be. He's the Doctor. He can't be."

"Let me through," Martha said. "Let me see him."

"Stop," the Judoon said. "Case closed."

"But it was her," Martha said. "She killed him. She did it. She murdered him."

"It's not over," Clara yelled, a wild look in her eyes, as she cradled the Doctor's head in her lap.

"The Judoon have no authority over human crime," the Judoon said.

"But she's not human," Martha said.

"Oh, but I am," Mrs. Finnigan said. "I've been cataloged."

"But she's not!" Martha said. "She assimil—Wait a minute. You drank his blood. The Doctor's blood."

"Meaning he didn't die in vain," Clara said, as Martha grabbed a Judoon scanner.

"Oh, all right," Mrs. Finnigan said. "Scan all you like."

"Non-human," the Judoon said.

"What?" Mrs. Finnigan asked, confused.

"Confirm analysis," the Judoon said.

"Oh, but it's a mistake, surely. I'm human. I'm as human as they come," Mrs. Finnigan said.

"He gave his life so they'd find you," Martha said.

"Confirmed: Plasmavore," the Judoon said. "I charge you with the crime of murdering the Princess of Patrival Regency Nine."

"She deserved it!" Mrs. Finnigan said. "Those pink cheeks and those blond curls and that simpering voice. She was begging for the bite of a Plasmavore."

"Do you confess?" the Judoon asked.

"Confess? I'm proud of it! Slab—stop them!" Mrs. Finnigan ordered.

The Slab shot at the Judoon, but the Judoon shot back and the Slab disintegrated.

"Verdict: guilty. Sentence: execution," the Judoon said.

The sign above the MRI lit up saying, _MAGNETIC OVERLOAD_.

"Enjoy your victory, Judoon, because you're going to burn with me. Burn in hell!" Mrs. Finnigan yelled, before she screamed as the Judoon disintegrated her. Clara instinctively ducked, covering the Doctor's head with her body. Martha then rushed to her side.

"Case closed," the Judoon said.

"What did she mean, 'burn with me?' The scanner shouldn't be doing that. She's done something," Martha said.

"Scans detect lethal acceleration of monomagnetic pulse," the Judoon said.

"Well, do something! Stop it!" Martha said.

"Our jurisdiction has ended. Judoon will evacuate," the Judoon said.

"You can't just leave it," Martha said. "What's it going to do?"

"All units withdraw," the Judoon said, as they left.

"I've got to try something," Clara said, struggling to get up, the air thin. She stumbled her way to the office where the controls for the MRI were. Air running out, she found it harder to think and to breathe. Outside the room, Martha was attempting to do C.P.R. on the Doctor.

Pressing random buttons but doing nothing, Clara finally slumped to the ground, very nearly out of air. She was still conscious, though, when the Doctor crawled in and unplugged the machine.

"You're okay!" Clara cried out weakly.

"'Course I am," the Doctor said.

"How's Martha?" Clara gasped out.

"Passed out," the Doctor said. Clara stumbled back out after the Doctor as he picked up Martha and carried her out into the corridor, where there were doctors and patients all over, all nearly unconscious. Clara had to lean against walls to the window where the Doctor had carried Martha.

"Come on, come on, come on. Come on, Judoon, reverse it," the Doctor muttered. Clara smiled weakly as rain started to fall.

"It's raining, Martha," the Doctor said. "Look, Clara, it's raining on the moon."

There was a flash of white light and they disappeared. The Doctor laid Martha down and took Clara's hand. The two of them exited the hospital as soon as it was back on Earth and made their way back to the TARDIS, where the Doctor picked up another pair of shoes and dematerialized the TARDIS.

They landed to later that evening, where Martha said that her brother's twenty-first would be. They stood on the corner, watching Martha and her family argue.

"And I always thought Jackie was bad," Clara said,with some sadness in her voice.

The Doctor gave a chuckle. Martha then spotted them and the Doctor smiled at her, the him and Clara disappeared round the corner. Martha found them leaning against the TARDIS, with the Doctor's arm around Clara's waist.

"I went to the moon today," Martha said.

"A bit more peaceful than down here," the Doctor said.

"You two never even told me who you are," Martha said.

"I'm Clara," she said.

"The Doctor," he said.

"What sort of species? It's not everyday I get to ask that," Martha said.

"I'm a Time Lord," the Doctor said.

"Right! Not pompous at all, then," Martha said.

"I just thought since you save our lives and I've got a brand new sonic screwdriver which needs road testing, you might fancy a trip with us," the Doctor said.

"What, into space?" Martha asked.

"Well," the Doctor said.

"I can't," Martha said. "I've got exams. I've got things to do. I have to go into town first thing and pay rent, I've got my family going mad..."

"If it helps, we can travel in time, as well," the Doctor said.

"Which is quite lovely," Clara grinned.

"Get out of here," Martha said.

"We can," the Doctor insisted.

"Come on now, that's going too far," Martha said.

"I'll prove it," the Doctor said.

He and Clara went into the TARDIS and dematerialized it. They met up with Martha from that morning and the Doctor took off his tie and said, "Like so. See?"

Clara smirked and shook her head. They headed back to the TARDIS and went back to where Martha was waiting. The Doctor stepped out first, with his tie in his hand. Clara stepped out behind him, amused.

"Told you!" the Doctor said.

"I know, but...that was this morning! But—Did you...oh, my gosh! You can travel in time!" Martha sputtered out.

Clara helped the Doctor put his tie back on, then tugged on the hair at the nape of his neck, smiling at him.

"But, hold on, if you could see me this morning, why didn't you tell me not to got in to work?" Martha asked.

"Doesn't work like that," Clara said.

"Crossing into established events is strictly forbidden," the Doctor said. "Except for cheap tricks."

"And that's your spaceship?" Martha asked.

"It's called the TARDIS," the Doctor said. "Time and Relative Dimensions in Space."

"Your spaceship's made of wood," Martha said, then teased. "There's not much room. We'd be a bit intimate."

"Take a look," the Doctor said, pushing the door open.

Clara linked arms with the Doctor, just waiting for it, as they followed Martha into the TARDIS. She ran back out past them. She ran back in.

"It's like a box with that room just rammed in," Martha said. "It's bigger on the inside."

Clara was amused as the Doctor had mouthed that last part with her.

"Is it? I hadn't noticed," the Doctor said, and Clara snorted. "All right, then, let's get going."

"But is there a crew?" Martha asked. "Like a navigator and stuff? Where is everyone?"

"Just me and Clara," the Doctor said.

"All on your own?" Martha asked.

"Well, sometimes we have other guests. I mean some friends, traveling alongside. I had—there was recently a friend of ours. Rose, her name was Rose. Clara's cousin. And...we were together. Anyway," the Doctor said, and Clara hung her head.

"Where is she now?" Martha asked, looking between Clara and the Doctor, seeing their sadness.

"With her family. Happy. She's fine. Not that you're replacing her," the Doctor said.

"Never said I was," Martha said.

"Good," Clara said.

"Just one trip to say 'thanks,' you get one trip, then back home," the Doctor said. "I'd rather us be on our own."

"You're the one that kissed me," Martha teased. Clara knew that she was teasing him, but still felt jealousy.

"That was a genetic transfer," the Doctor said. "I kissed Clara."

"And if you will wear a tight suit..." Martha said. Clara smirked, looking at his tight suit. Martha was now riling the Doctor up.

"Now...don't!" the Doctor said.

"And then travel all the way across the universe just to ask me on a date..." Martha said and Clara full out grinned.

"Stop it," the Doctor said.

"For the record? I'm not remotely interested," Martha said. "I only go for humans. Plus, I see that you're with Clara."

"Good," the Doctor said. "Well, then. Close down the gravitic anomalizer. Fire up the helmic regulator. And finally—the hand brake. Ready?"

"No," Martha said.

"Off we go," the Doctor said, pulling the hand brake. He fell, as did Clara as the TARDIS shook.

"Blimey, it's a bit bumpy," Martha said.

"Welcome aboard, Miss Jones," the Doctor said.

"It's my pleasure, Mr. Smith and Miss Tyler," Martha said, shaking both of their hands.


	30. The Shakespeare Code

**The Shakespeare Code**

Both Martha and Clara were holding onto the console tightly, while the Doctor turned a wheel on the controls.

"But how do you travel in time? What makes it go?" Martha asked.

"Oh, let's take the fun and mystery out of everything," the Doctor said. "Martha, you don't wanna know. It just does. Hold on tight!"

"If he explained it, we'd be here all day," Clara said to Martha, after they had picked themselves up off the ground. The Doctor had nearly climbed onto the console and then fell off.

"Blimey! Do you have to pass a test to fly this thing?" Martha asked.

"Yes, and I failed it," the Doctor said, grabbing his coat. "Now, make the most of it. I promised you one trip and one trip only. Outside this door...brave new world."

"Where are we?" Martha asked.

"Take a look," the Doctor said, opening the door. "After you."

"I love this bit," Clara said, taking the Doctor's arm that he offered to her. She gave a giggle at the look on Martha's face as they stepped out into an Elizabethan London street.

"Oh, you are kidding me," Martha said. "You are _so_ kidding me. Oh, my gosh! We did it. We traveled in time. Where are we? No, sorry. I gotta get used to this whole new language. When are we?"

The Doctor reached out and pulled her back just in time as a man dumped the contents of a bucket down at them.

"Oh, yuck," Clara said, wrinkling her nose.

"Mind the loo!" the man shouted down at them.

"Somewhere before the invention of the toilet," the Doctor said. "Sorry about that."

"I've seen worse," Martha said. "I've worked the late night shift at A&E."

"That's disgusting," Clara said, moving on with the Doctor.

"But are we safe?" Martha asked. "I mean, can we move around and stuff?"

"Of course we can," the Doctor said. "Why do you ask?"

"It's like in the films," Martha said. "You step on a butterfly, you change the future of the human race."

"Well, tell yo what then, don't step on any butterflies. What have butterflies ever done to you?" the Doctor asked.

"It was a legit question, Doctor," Clara teased, as they continued walking down the street.

"I know," he said, grinning.

"What if, I dunno, what if I kill my grandfather?" Martha asked.

"You planning to?" the Doctor asked, trying to sound worried.

"No," Martha said.

"Well, then," the Doctor said.

"This is London," Martha said.

"I think so," the Doctor said. "Right about 1599."

"Oh, but hold on," Martha said. "Am I all right? I'm not gonna get carted of as a slave, am I?"

"Why would they do that?" the Doctor asked, not getting it.

"Not exactly white, in case you haven't noticed," Martha said.

"I'm not even human," the Doctor said. "Just walk about like you own the place. Works for me."

"Not really," Clara mouthed to Martha, who put her hand over her mouth to cover her smile.

"Besides," the Doctor continued on, not noticing them, "you'd be surprised. Elizabethan England, not so different from your time. Look over there. They've got recycling."

There was a man shoveling manure.

"Water cooler movement," the Doctor continued, as two men were talking at a water barrel. They walked by a man preaching about the end of the world.

"...and the world will be consumed by flame!" the man shouted.

"Global warming," the Doctor said. "Oh, yes, and...entertainment! Popular entertainment for the masses. If I'm right, we're just down the river by Southwark righ next to..." The Doctor took both the girls' hands and pulled them round the corner. "Oh, yes, the Globe Theater! Brand new. Just opened. Though, strictly speaking, it's not a globe; it's a tetradecagon—14 sides—containing the man himself."

"Whoa, you don't mean...is Shakespeare in there?" Martha asked.

"Oh, yes," the Doctor said. "Miss Jones, Miss Tyler, will you ladies accompany me to the theatre?"

"Yes, Mr. Smith, I will," Martha said, linking one of her arms with him.

"Do you even have to ask?" Clara asked, taking his other arm.

"When you get home, you can tell everyone you've seen Shakespeare," the Doctor told Martha.

"Then I could get sectioned!" Martha said.

"Thrown into the loony bin for sure," Clara said, chuckling.

The Doctor got them into the Globe Theater, where they stood on the ground, watching the play with the crowd.

"That's amazing! Just amazing," Martha exclaimed. "It's worth putting up with the smell. And those are men dressed aw women, yeah?"

"London never changes," the Doctor said.

"Where's Shakespeare? I wanna see Shakespeare," Martha said, then she started chanting, "Author! Author!"

"Do people shout that?" she asked, as the Doctor and Clara looked at her. "Do they shout 'Author'?"

A man in the crowd nearby picked up on Martha's chant, and soon it was being shouted all over.

"Well...they do now," the Doctor said.

Shakespeare came out on stage and took a bow and blew kisses to the audience. Everyone went wild and cheered louder.

"He's a bit different from his portraits," Martha said.

"Yeah, better looking," Clara said, then said, "Just kidding," when the Doctor looked at her, a bit hurt.

"Genius. He's a genius—THE genius. The most human Human that's ever been," the Doctor said. "Now we're gonna hear him speak. Always, he chooses the best words. New, beautiful, brilliant words."

"Shut your big fat mouths!" Shakespeare shouted and the audience laughed.

"Oh, well," the Doctor said, disappointed.

"There, there," Clara said, patting his back.

"You should never meet your heroes," Martha said.

"You have excellent taste!" Shakespeare said. "I'll give you that. Oh, that's a wig! I know what you're all saying. 'Loves Labor's Lost,' that's a funny ending, isn't it? It just stops! Will the boys get the girls? Well, don't get your hose in a tangle, you'll find out soon. Yeah, yeah. All in good time. You don't rush a genius."

He bowed, and then suddenly jerked upright.

"When? Tomorrow night," Shakespeare said, and everyone cheered. "The premiere of my brand new play. A sequel, no less, and I call it 'Loves Labor's Won'!"

Clara squirmed as she got an uncomfortable feeling in her gut.

The Doctor, Martha, and Clara left with the rest of the crowd.

"I'm not an expert, but I've never heard of 'Loves Labor's Won'," Martha said.

"Exactly—the lost play," the Doctor said. "It doesn't exist—only in rumors. It's mentioned in lists of his plays but never ever turns up. No one knows why."

"Have you got a mini-disk or something? We could tape it. We can flog it. Sell it when we get home and make a mint," Martha said.

The Doctor and Clara both looked at her.

"No," the Doctor said.

"That would be bad?" Martha asked.

"Yeah," the Doctor and Clara both said.

"Well, how come it disappeared in the first place?" Martha asked.

"Well, I was just gonna give you a quick little trip in the TARDIS, but I suppose we could stay a bit longer," the Doctor said.

"And find out what's going on," Clara said.

The three of them went to the Elephant Inn, where Shakespeare was staying. The Doctor led the way, going upstairs.

"Hello!" the Doctor said, knocking on the door. "Excuse me! I'm not interrupting, am I? Mr. Shakespeare, isn't it?"

"Oh no, no, no, no," Shakespeare said. "Who let you in? No autographs. No, you can't have yourself sketched with me. And please don't ask where I get my ideas from. Thanks for the interest. Now be a good boy and shove-"

He then caught sight of Martha and Clara standing right behind the Doctor.

"Hey, nonny, nonny. Sit right down here next to me," he said. "You two get sewing on them costumes. Off you go."

"Come on, lads. I think our William's found his new muses," the bar lady, Dolly Bailey, said.

Martha sat down at the table by Shakespeare, but Clara sat herself down by the Doctor.

"Sweet ladies," Shakespeare said. "Such unusual clothes. So...fitted."

"Um, verily, forsooth, egads," Martha said.

"No, no, don't do that," the Doctor said. "Don't."

Clara remembered the time that Rose tried to do a Scottish accent, but failed and the Doctor said the same thing.

"I'm Sir Doctor of TARDIS and these are my companions, Miss Martha Jones and Miss Clara Tyler," he said.

"Interesting, that bit of paper," Shakespeare said. "It's blank."

"Oh, that's...very clever. That proves it. Absolute genius," the Doctor said, impressed.

"No, it says so right there," Martha said, looking at the psychic paper. "Sir Doctor, Martha Jones, Clara Tyler. It says so."

"And I say it's blank," Shakespeare said.

"Psychic paper," the Doctor said to Martha. "Um, long story. Oh, I hate starting from scratch."

He put the paper away.

"Psychic. Never heard that before and words are my trade. Who are you exactly?" Shakespeare asked. "More's the point, who is your delicious blackamoor lady?"

"What did you say?" Martha asked, and Clara suppressed a giggle.

"Oops. Isn't that a word we use nowadays?" Shakespeare asked. "An Ethiop girl? A swarth? A Queen of Afric...?"

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," Martha said.

"It's political correctness gone mad," the Doctor said. "Um, Martha's from a far-off land. Freedonia."

"Excuse me!" a man said, entering the room. "Hold hard a moment. This is abominable behavior. A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, Mr. Shakespeare. As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and examined by me before it can be performed."

"Tomorrow morning, first thing, I'll send it 'round," Shakespeare said.

"I don't work to your schedule, you work to mine. The script, now!" Lynley demanded.

"I can't," Shakespeare said.

"Then tomorrow's performance is canceled," Lynley said.

"It's all go, 'round here, isn't it?" Martha asked.

"Looks like it," Clara said.

"I'm returning to my office for a banning order," Lynley said. "If it's the last thing I do, 'Love's Labor's Won' will never be played."

And with that, he stormed off.

"Well, then...mystery solved. That's 'Love's Labor's Won' over and done with," Martha said. "Thought it might be something more, you know...more mysterious."

There were screams coming from outside.

"That's more like it," Clara said, as they all rushed outside to find Lynley on the ground, spitting up water.

"It's that Lynley bloke," Martha said.

"What's wrong with him?" the Doctor said, then he went forward. "Leave it to me—I'm a doctor."

"So am I—near enough," Martha said, joining him.

Lynley fell to the ground then and the Doctor stood and ran to look down the street.

"Gotta get the heart going," Martha said, as Clara knelt down by her. "Mr. Lynley, c'mon, can you hear me? You're gonna be all right."

"He isn't breathing at all," Clara noticed.

Martha nodded, then bent down to do mouth to mouth, when water started gushing from his mouth.

"What the hell is that?" Martha asked.

"I've never seen a death like it," the Doctor said, returning to them. "His lungs are full of water—he drowned and then...I dunno, like a blow to the heart, an invisible blow."

He stood and turned to Dolly Bailey.

"Good mistress, this poor fellow has died from a sudden imbalance of the humors. A natural, if unfortunate, demise. Call a constable and have him taken away," he said.

"Yes, sir," Dolly said.

"I'll do it, ma'am," a woman said, then walked away.

"And why are you telling them that?" Martha asked.

"This lot still have got one foot in the Dark Ages," the Doctor said. "If I tell them the truth, they'll panic and think it was witchcraft."

"Okay, what was it then?" Martha asked.

"Witchcraft," the Doctor said.

"No way," Clara said.

"Come on," the Doctor said. "Let's get a room for the night."

"I've got you a room, Sir Doctor," Dolly Bailey said, as soon as they went back into the inn. "You, Miss Jones, and Miss Tyler are just across the landing."

"Poor Lynley," Shakespeare said, after Dolly had left. "So many strange events. Not least of all, this land of Freedonia where a woman can be a doctor?"

"Where a woman can do what she likes," Martha said.

"And you, Sir Doctor," Shakespeare said. "How can a man so young have eyes so old?"

"I do a lot of reading," the Doctor said.

"A trite reply," Shakespeare said. "Yeah, that's what I'd do. And you, Miss Tyler. You've lost someone and yourself in time."

"I've not lost myself," Clara said. "Just my family."

"And you, you look at the both of them like you're surprised they exist," Shakespeare said to Martha. "He's as much of a puzzle to you as he is to me."

"I think we should say goodnight," Martha said, then left.

"I must work," Shakespeare said. "I have a play to complete. But I'll get my answers tomorrow, Doctor, and I'll discover more about you both and why this constant performance of yours."

"All the world's a stage," the Doctor said.

"Hm, I might use that," Shakespeare said. "Good night, Doctor. Good night, Miss Tyler."

"Good night, Mr. Shakespeare," Clara said.

"Nighty-night, Shakespeare," the Doctor said, taking Clara's hand and they went to their room.

"It's not exactly five-star, is it?" Martha asked, looking around the room when they entered.

"Oh, it'll do," the Doctor said. "I've seen worse."

"I haven't even got a toothbrush," Martha said.

"Ooh," the Doctor said, patting his pockets and pulled out a mini brush. "Contains Venusian spearmint."

He took out a second and handed it to Clara.

"So, who's going where? I mean, there's only one bed," Martha said.

"We'll manage," the Doctor said. "C'mon."

"I'll take the floor," Clara said, seeing how small the bed was.

"No, I will," Martha said, then threw down a blanket. Once she was laid down, she said, "So, magic and stuff. That's a surprise. It's a little bit Harry Potter."

"Wait till you read Book Seven. Oh, I cried," the Doctor said, as Clara curled up with him on the bed.

"Spoilers, dear," Clara scolded.

"But is it real, though?" Martha asked. "I mean, witches, black magic and all that, it's real?"

"'Course it isn't!" the Doctor said.

"Well, how am I supposed to know? I've only just started believing in time travel. Give me a break," Martha said.

"Looks like witchcraft, but it isn't," the Doctor said. "Can't be."

"Then what else could it be, then?" Clara wondered out loud.

"There's such a thing as psychic energy but a human couldn't channel it like that. Not without a generator the size of Taunton and I think we'd have spotted that. No. There's something I'm missing, Martha. Something really close, staring me right in the face and I can't see it."

He looked at Clara and said, "Rose would know."

Clara nodded, feeling rather sad.

"A friend of ours, Rose. Right now, she'd say exactly the right thing. Still, can't be helped. You're a novice, never mind. I'll take you back home tomorrow," he said.

"Great," Martha said from the floor.

Clara blew out the candle by the bed and fell into a much needed sleep.

A couple of hours later, Clara jerked from sleep. Martha was still asleep on the floor, but the Doctor was wide awake.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hi," he said, grinning.

"So, did you think of what you were missing?" she asked.

"Nope," he said.

"I miss her, Doctor," Clara said, a tear going down her cheek. "She was the only family I had. Her and Jackie."

"I know, Love," the Doctor said. "I miss then, too."

There was a sudden scream that tore through the night. The Doctor immediately jumped up and left the room, followed closely by Clara and Martha. They ran into Shakespeare's room, where the author himself was jerking awake.

"Wha'? What was that?" Shakespeare said.

Clara followed Martha to the window, where the two of them saw a silhouette of a witch on an actual broomstick, flying away in the sky.

"No flippin' way," Clara said.

"Doctor?" Martha said.

The Doctor went over and joined them at the window.

"What did you two see?" he asked them.

"A witch," Martha said.

"A flippin' bloody witch, flying away in the sky!" Clara said.

She perched herself on Shakespeare's desk, while the Doctor and Martha sat down in chairs.

"Oh, sweet Dolly Bailey," Shakespeare said. "She sat out three bouts of the plague in this place. We all ran like rats. But what could have scared her so? She had such enormous spirit."

"'Rage, rage against the dying of the light'," the Doctor quoted.

"I might use that," Shakespeare said.

"You can't," the Doctor said. "It's someone else's."

"But the thing is, Lynley drowned on dry land, Dolly died of fright and they were both connected to you," Martha said.

"You're accusing me?" Shakespeare said.

"No, but Clara and I saw a witch, big as you like, flying, cackling away, and you've written about witches," Martha said.

"I have?" Shakespeare asked. "When was that?"

"Not, not quite yet," the Doctor said in a low voice.

"Peter Streete spoke of witches," Shakespeare said.

"Who's Peter Streete?" Martha asked.

"Our builder," Shakespeare said. "He sketched the plans to the Globe."

"The architect," the Doctor said, then thought of something. "Hold on. The architect! The architect! The Globe! Come on!"

Used to his sudden rushing off, Clara was right on his tail when he dashed off, followed closely by Martha and Shakespeare.

"Wow," Clara gasped, spinning around, taking in the sight of the Globe all around her. "This is amazing!"

Martha and Shakespeare were on the stage, while the Doctor and Clara were down in the pit.

"I mean, we were here earlier, but now that it's empty..." Clara said, grinning.

"The columns there, right? 14 sides," the Doctor said. "I've always wondered, but I never asked...tell me, Will, why 14 sides?"

"It was the shape Peter Streete thought best, that's all. Said it carried the sound well," Shakespeare said.

"Why does that ring a bell?" the Doctor asked. "14..."

"There are 14 lines in a sonnet," Martha said.

"So there is," the Doctor said. "Good point. Words and shapes following the same design."

He started pacing.

"14 lines, 14 sides, 14 facets...oh, my head," he said. "Tetradecagon...think, think, think! Words, letters, numbers, lines!"

"This is just a theater," Shakespeare said.

"Nothing is ever as it seems," Clara said.

"Oh, but a theater's magic, isn't it?" the Doctor asked. "You should know. Stand on this stage, say the right words with the right emphasis at the right time...Oh, you can make men weep, or cry with joy, change them. You can change people's minds just with words in this place. And if you exaggerate that..."

"It's like you're police box," Martha said. "Small wooden box with all that POWER inside."

"That's brilliant," Clara said, looking at Martha.

"Oh. Oh, Martha Jones, I like you," the Doctor said. "Tell you what, though. Peter Streete would know. Can I talk to him?"

"You won't get an answer," Shakespeare said. "A month after finishing this place...lost his mind."

"Why? What happened?" Martha asked.

"Started raving about witches, hearing voices, babbling. His mind was addled," Shakespeare said.

"Doctor, witches," Clara said.

"Where is he now?" the Doctor asked.

"Bedlam," Shakespeare said.

"What's Bedlam?" Martha asked.

"Bethlem Hospital," Shakespeare said. "The madhouse."

"We're gonna go there," the Doctor said. "Right now. Come on."

He took Clara's hand and pulled her along, with Martha and Shakespeare right behind them.

"Wait!" Shakespeare said. "I'm coming with you. I want to witness this at first hand!"

They exited the theater and went out into the street, where Shakespeare caught up to them.

"So, tell me of Freedonia, where women can be doctors, writers, actors," Shakespeare said.

"This country's ruled by a woman," Martha pointed out.

"Ah, she's royal," Shakespeare said. "That's God's business. Though you are a royal beauty."

"Typical," Clara muttered. Of course women couldn't do anything in this time period.

"Whoa, Nelly!" Martha said, stopping. "I know for a fact you've got a wife in the country."

"But Martha, this is Town," Shakespeare said.

"Come on," the Doctor said. "We can all have a good flirt later."

"Is that a promise, Doctor?" Shakespeare asked.

"Oh, 57 academics just punched the air," the Doctor said. "Now move!"

"Too much like Captain Jack," Clara said to herself as they ran on.

They made it to Bedlam, where Clara cringed at the sight and sound of it. There were loud screams and moans coming from all around them.

"Does my lord, Doctor, wish some entertainment while he waits? I'd whip these madmen. They'll put on a good show for ya. Bandog and Bedlam!" the jailor said.

"No, I don't!" the Doctor said and Clara shuttered.

"Wait here, my lords, while I make him decent for the lady," the jailor said, then he walked away.

"So, this is what you call a hospital, yeah?" Martha asked. "Where the patients are whipped to entertain the gentry? And you put your friend in here?"

"Oh, and it's all so different in Freedonia," Shakespeare said.

"It is," Clara said.

"But you're clever!" Martha told him. "Do you honestly think this place is any good?"

"I've been mad," Shakespeare said. "I've lost my mind. Fear of this place set me right again. It serves its purpose."

"Mad in what way?" Martha asked.

"You lost your son," the Doctor said softly. Clara felt sympathetic for Shakespeare then.

"My only boy," Shakespeare said. "The Black Death took him. I wasn't even there."

"I didn't know," Martha said. "I'm sorry."

"It made me question everything," Shakespeare said. "The futility of this fleeting existence. To be or not to be...oh, that's quite good."

"You should write that down," the Doctor said.

"Hm, maybe not," Shakespeare said. "A bit pretentious?"

"Definately not," Clara said. Hamletwas her favorite Shakespeare work, followed closely by Romeo and Juliet. It made her cry every time.

"This way, m'lord!" the jailer called out. The jailor unlocked the door for them as they reached Peter Streete's cell. "They can be dangerous, m'lord. Don't know their own strength."

"I think it helps if you don't whip them!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Now, get out!"

Clara was only too happy as the creepy jailor left.

"Peter? Peter Streete?" the Doctor asked, slowly approaching the man.

"He's the same as he was," Shakespeare said. "You'll get nothing out of him."

"Peter?" the Doctor asked, laying a hand on Peter's shoulder. Clara jerked slightly as Peter's head jerked up and he looked at the Doctor with wild eyes. The Doctor placed his fingertips on Peter's face. "Peter, I'm the Doctor. Go into the past, one year ago. Let your mind go back, back to when everything was fine and shining. Everything that happened in this year since happened to somebody else. It was just a story. A winter's tale. Let go. Listen. That's it, just let go. Tell me the story, Peter. Tell me about the witches."

"Witches spoke to Peter," Peter said, speaking in third person. "In the night, they whispered. Got Peter to build the Globe to their design. THEIR design. The 14 walls—always 14. when the work was done, they snapped poor Peter's wits."

"Where did Peter see the witches?" the Doctor asked. "Where in the city? Peter, tell me. You've got to tell me where were they?"

"All Hallows Street," Peter said.

"Typical," Clara said.

"Too many words," a woman said, appearing beside the Doctor and Clara. The two of them immediately backed up to stand by Martha.

"What the hell?" Martha asked.

"Just one touch of the heart," the witch said, laying her hand on Peter's chest.

"Noo!" the Doctor cried out.

Peter screamed out, and then was silent.

"Witch! I'm seeing a witch!" Shakespeare said.

"Who would be next, hmm?" the witch asked. "Just one touch. Oh, oh, I'll stop your frantic hearts. Poor, fragile mortals."

"Let us out! Let us out!" Martha shouted at the door.

"That's not gonna work," the Doctor said. "The whole building's shouting that."

"Who will die first, hmm?" the witch asked.

"Well, if you're looking for volunteers," the Doctor said, and walked towards the witch.

"Don't you dare, Doctor!" Clara shouted, stepping in front of him.

"Doctor, can you stop her?" Shakespeare asked, as the Doctor pushed Clara behind him, which she wasn't very happy about.

"No mortal has power over me," the witch said.

"Oh, but there's a power in words," the Doctor said. "If I can find the right one—if I can just know you..."

"None on Earth has knowledge of us," the witch said.

"Then it's a good thing I'm here," the Doctor said. "Now, think, think, think...Humanoid female uses shapes and words to channel energy...ah, 14! That's it! 14! The 14 stars of the Rexel planetary configuration! Creature, I name you Carrionite!"

The witch wailed, then disappeared.

"What did you do?" Martha asked.

"I named her," the Doctor said. "The power of a name. That's old magic."

"That's crazy," Clara said, stunned, looking at the spot where the witch had disappeared.

"But there's no such thing as magic," Martha argued.

"Well, it's just a different sort of science," the Doctor said. "You lot, you chose mathematics. Given the right string of numbers, the right equation, you can split an atom. Carrionites use words instead."

"Use them for what?" Shakespeare asked.

"The end of the world," the Doctor said.

"Then it's our job to stop them," Clara said, determined.

The Doctor nodded and said, "The Carrionites disappeared way back at the dawn of the universe. Nobody was sure if they were real or legend."

"Like you," Clara said.

"Well, I'm going for real," Shakespeare said.

"But what do they want?" Martha asked.

"A new empire on Earth," the Doctor said. "A world of bones and blood and witchcraft."

"But how?" Martha asked.

"I'm looking at the man with the words," the Doctor said, looking at Shakespeare.

"Me? But I've done nothing," Shakespeare said.

"Hold on, though," Martha said. "What were you doing last night, when the Carrionite was in the room?"

"Finishing the play," Shakespeare said.

"What happens on the last page?" the Doctor asked.

"The boys get the girls," Shakespeare said. "They have a bit of a dance. It's all as funny and thought provoking as usual—except those last few lines. Funny thing is...I don't actually remember writing them."

"That doesn't sound good," Clara said.

"That's it!" the Doctor said. "They used you. They gave you the final words. Like a spell, like a code. 'Love's Labors Won'-it's a weapon! The right combination of words, spoken at the right place with the right shape of the Globe as an energy converter! The play's the thing! And yes, you can have that."

They made their way back to Shakespeare's room at the inn, where they looked over a map.

"All Hallows Street," the Doctor said, pointing it out. "There it is. Martha, Clara, we'll track them down. Will, you get to the Globe. Whatever you do, stop that play!"

"I'll do it," Shakespeare said, shaking the Doctor's hand. "All these years I've been the cleverest man around. Next to you, I know nothing."

"Oh, don't complain," Martha said.

"Yeah, join the club," Clara said, rolling her eyes.

"I'm not," Shakespeare said. "It's marvelous. Good luck, Doctor. Ladies."

"Good luck, Shakespeare," the Doctor said, heading for the door. "'Once more unto the breach'!"

"I like that," Shakespeare said. "Wait a minute...that's one of mine."

"Oh, just shift!" the Doctor said, poking his head around the door.

"All Hallows Street, but which house?" the Doctor asked.

"It's all very creepy," Clara shuddered.

"The thing is, though...am I missing something here?" Martha asked. "The world didn't end in 1599. It just didn't. Look at me—I'm living proof."

Clara immediately thought back to when they met the Gelth. Rose had once thought the exact same thing.

"Oh, how to explain the mechanics of the infinite temporal flux? I know! 'Back to the Future!' It's like 'Back to the Future'!" the Doctor said.

"The film?" Martha asked.

"No, the novelization," the Doctor said sarcastically. "Yes, the film. Marty McFly goes back and changes history."

"And he starts fading away," Martha said, realizing what he was talking about. "Oh, my gosh, am I gonna fade?"

"You and the entire future of the human race. It ends right now in 1599 if we don't stop it. But which house?" the Doctor asked.

One of the doors slowly opened.

"Ah, make that WITCH house," the Doctor said, making a joke. Clara snorted at his attempt. Although she really didn't want to enter the house, Clara reluctantly followed the Doctor into the house, holding onto his coat sleeve.

When they entered, one of the witches was already waiting. In fact, it was the same woman that was at the inn.

"I take it we're expected," the Doctor said.

"Oh, I think Death has been waiting for you a very long time," the witch said.

"Right then, it's my turn," Martha said, stepping forward and pointed at the witch. "I know how to do this. I name thee, Carrionite!"

Although Clara was expecting something to happen, nothing did.

"What did I do wrong? Was it the finger?" Martha asked.

"I don't think so," Clara said.

"The power of a name works only once," the witch said. "Observe. I gaze upon this bag of bones and now I name thee Martha Jones."

Martha collapsed to the ground and Clara ran and knelt beside her.

"What have you done?" the Doctor asked. Clara checked for a pulse on Martha and found it.

"She's fine," Clara said.

"Only sleeping, alas," the witch said. "Curious, the name has less impact. She's somehow out of her time. And as for you, Sir Doctor! Fascinating. There is no name. Why would a man hide his title in such despair? Oh, but look. There's still one word with the power that aches."

"The naming won't work on me," the Doctor said.

"But it will on your companion," the witch said, looking at Clara, then she frowned. "Funnily enough, I can't find a name for her, as well. But no matter. Your hearts grow cold. The north wind blows and carries down the distant...Rose."

"Oh, big mistake, 'cos that name keeps me fighting! The Carrionites vanished! Where did you go?" the Doctor asked, standing.

"The Eternals found the right word to banish us into deep darkness," the witch said.

"Good," Clara snarled.

"And how did you escape?" the Doctor asked.

"New words," the witch said. "New and glittering from a mind like no other."

"Shakespeare," the Doctor said.

"His son perished," the witch said. "The grief of a genius. Grief without measure. Madness enough to allow us entrance."

"How many of you?" the Doctor asked.

"Just the three," the witch said. "But the play tonight shall restore the rest. Then the human race will be purged as pestilence. And from this world we will lead the universe back to the old ways of blood and magic."

"Hmm...busy schedule...but first you gotta get past me," the Doctor said.

"And me," Clara added, standing with the Doctor in front of the witch.

"Oh, that should be a pleasure considering my enemy has such a handsome shape," the witch said, running her fingers along the Doctor's face.

"Oi! Hands off, witch! He's mine," Clara said, smacking the witch's hand away from the Doctor. The witch snarled and merely touched Clara on the forehead and Clara fell to the floor, unconscious.

She slowly woke to see the Doctor and Martha leaning over her.

"What happened?" she asked, slightly dazed.

"Don't have time to explain!" the Doctor said, helping her to her feet, before jumping up. Martha helped Clara by putting an arm around her to help her run off after the Doctor.

The Doctor ran through the street first, followed by the Martha and Clara, who could now run on her own.

"We're going the wrong way!" Martha said.

"No, we're not!" the Doctor shouted back. He then turned and ran down a different street.

"We're going the wrong way!" the Doctor said, turning back the way they came.

"Typical man," Clara said, and Martha nodded.

Running down the streets, the Doctor, Clara, and Martha heard screaming and saw a red glow coming from the Globe. The preacher that they saw when they first arrived was there.

"I told thee so! I told thee!" the preacher said.

"Stage door!" the Doctor said.

The wind started picking up over the Globe as there were thunderclouds and lightening that had a red glow. The three of them burst backstage to see Shakespeare holding his head and nursing it.

"Stop the play! I think that was it. Yeah, I said, 'Stop the play'!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"I hit my head," Shakespeare said.

"Yeah, don't rub it, you'll go bald," the Doctor said. There were more screams coming from the people in the theater. "I think that's our cue!"

He took Clara's hand as he ran out on stage. It was pure chaos outside. There were witches in the air and a storm.

"Come on, Will!" the Doctor said, grabbing Shakespeare. "History needs you!"

"But what can I do?" Shakespeare asked.

"Reverse it!" the Doctor shouted.

"How am I supposed to do that?" Shakespeare asked.

"The shape of the Globe gives words power, but you're the wordsmith, the one true genius. The only man clever enough to do it!" the Doctor said.

"But what words? I have none ready!" Shakespeare shouted.

"You're William Shakespeare!" the Doctor said.

"But these Carrionite phrases, the need such precision!" Shakespeare said.

"Trust yourself," the Doctor said. "When you're locked away in your room, the words just come, don't they? Like magic. Words of the right sound, the right shape, the right rhythm—words that last forever! That's what you do, Will! You choose perfect words. Do it. Improvise!"

"Close up this den of hateful, dire decay! Decomposition of your witches' plot! You thieve my brains, consider me your toy. My doting Doctor tells me I am not!" Shakespeare said.

Beside being slightly scared of the witches, Clara was stunned and excited that she was getting to hear Shakespeare, the genius that he was, come up with new work like this, even if it was only to save the world and would never hear it again.

"Foul Carrionite specters, cease your show! Between the points..." Shakespeare said, then looked to the Doctor for help.

"7-6-1-3-9-0!" the Doctor said.

"7-6-1-3-9-0! And banished like a tinker's cuss, I say to thee..." Shakespeare said, then looked to the Doctor again.

This time, Martha found a word.

"Expelliarmus!" she shouted.

"Expelliarmus!" Clara repeated, grinning.

"Expelliarmus!" the Doctor said.

"Expelliarmus!" Shakespeare said.

"Good old, JK!" the Doctor said and the Carrionites screamed.

"The deep darkness! They are consumed! AHH!" one of the witches said. All the Carrionites got sucked up like a tornado almost, and so did the play.

"'Love's Labors Won'," the Doctor said. "There it goes."

Clara flushed pink as the audience began to applaud and followed the Doctor's example and exited stage right.

"Is that where they went?" Clara asked, as the Doctor went to the witch's box in the theater and picked up a crystal ball.

"Yup," he said, as he took it with him.

They stayed another night in the Inn and the next morning, went back to the Globe. Clara sat on the edge of the stage with Shakespeare and Martha, where Shakespeare was trying to tell them a joke, but they didn't get it.

"And I say, a heart for a hart, and a dear for a deer," Shakespeare said.

"I don't get it," Martha said.

"Me neither," Clara said, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Then give me a joke from Freedonia," Shakespeare said.

"Okay, Shakespeare walks into a pub and the landlord says, 'Oi, mate, you're bard'," Martha said, and Clara laughed.

"That's a good one," Clara said, still in a fit of giggles.

"It's brilliant!" Shakespeare said. "Doesn't make sense, mind you, but never mind that."

Shakespeare wrapped his arm around Martha's waist and said, "Come here."

"Whoa," Clara said, feeling awkward.

"I've only just met you," Martha said.

"The Doctor might never kiss you," Shakespeare said.

"Too right, he won't," Clara said.

"Why not entertain a man who will?" Shakespeare said, after casting Clara an amused look.

"I don't know how to tell you this, oh great genius, but our breath doesn't half stink," Martha said, and Clara sniggered. The Doctor emerged from backstage wearing a ruff collar and carrying an animal skull. Clara's sniggering turned into full-blown laughter at the sight of him.

"Good props store back there!" the Doctor said, oblivious. "I'm not sure about this, though. Reminds me of a Sycorax."

"It kind of does," Clara said, breathless from laughing.

"Sycorax. Nice word," Shakespeare said. "I'll have that off you as well."

"I should be on 10%," the Doctor said. "How's your head?"

"Still aching," Shakespeare said.

"Here, I got this for you," the Doctor said, taking off the ruff collar and put it on Shakespeare. "Nice brace. Wear that for a few days till it's better, although you might wanna keep it. It suits you."

"What about the play?" Martha asked.

"Gone," the Doctor said. "I looked all over—every single copy of 'Love's Labors Won' went up in the sky."

"My lost masterpiece," Shakespeare said.

"You could write it up again," Martha said.

"Yeah, better not, Will," the Doctor said. "There's still power in those words. Maybe it should best stay forgotten."

"Oh, but I've got new ideas," Shakespeare said. "Perhaps it's time I wrote about fathers and sons. In memory of my boy—my precious Hamnet."

"Brilliant," Clara said, realizing that they helped give him the idea for the best book ever. Well, one of them.

"Hamnet?" Martha asked.

"That's him," Shakespeare said.

"Ham-NET?" Martha asked.

"What's wrong with that?" Shakespeare asked.

"Anyway, time we were off," the Doctor said. "I've got a nice attic in the TARDIS where this lot can scream for all eternity and I've gotta take Martha back to Freedonia."

"You mean travel on through time and space," Shakespeare said.

"You what?" the Doctor asked and Clara was equally stunned.

"You're from another world, like the Carrionites and Martha and Clara are from the future," Shakespeare said. "It's not hard to work out."

"That's...incredible," the Doctor said. "You are incredible."

"We're alike in many ways, Doctor. Martha, let me say goodbye to you in a new verse. A sonnet for my Dark Lady. Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate-" Shakespeare quoted.

"That's amazing," Clara sighed.

"Will! Will!" one of his actors called. "You'll never believe it! She's here! She's turned up!"

"We're the talk of the town!" another actor said. "She heard about last night! She wants us to perform it again."

"Who?" Martha asked.

"Her Majesty! She's here!" the first actor said.

"Queen Elizabeth I!" the Doctor exclaimed as the Queen entered.

"Oh, my gosh! Shakespeare and the Queen, all in one day!" Clara said, excited.

"Doctor! Clara!" the Queen shouted.

"What?" they both said at the same time.

"My sworn enemies!" Elizabeth said.

"What?" the Doctor asked, more confused.

"What did I do?" Clara asked, bewildered.

"Off with their heads!" the Queen shouted.

"What?" the Doctor asked again.

"Never mind 'what,' just run!" Martha shouted. "See you, Will! And thanks!"

The Doctor took Clara's hand as he took off running, with Martha right behind them.

"Quick, to the TARDIS!" Clara shouted.

"Stop in the name of the Queen!" a soldier shouted at them.

"What have you two done to upset her?!" Martha asked.

"Dunno!" Clara shouted.

"How should I know?" the Doctor asked. "Haven't even met her yet. That's time travel for you! Still, can't wait to find out!"

"I know, right?" Clara said, excited. The Doctor quickly unlocked the TARDIS and Martha and Clara both ran in. "That's something to look forward to. Oh!"

He ducked inside the TARDIS and archers fired at them, putting arrows into the TARDIS' door.

"That was close," Clara sighed, then started laughing, along with the Doctor and Martha.


	31. Gridlock

**Gridlock**

The Doctor was in a good mood as he went about the console, flipping levers. Martha and Clara were both sitting down, watching him.

"Just one trip," the Doctor said. "S'what I said. One trip in the TARDIS and then home. Although—I suppose, we could—stretch the definition. Try one trip to the past, one trip to the future. How do you fancy that?"

"No complaints from me!" Martha said, obviously thrilled.

"How about a different planet?" the Doctor asked.

"Can we go to yours?" Martha asked.

The mood in the TARDIS immediately changed. The Doctor's excitement left, and he turned away from Martha. Clara tried to signal Martha to stop.

"Ahh, there's plenty of other places!" the Doctor said.

"Come on, though! I mean, Planet of the Time Lords, that's got to be worth a look! What's it like?" Martha asked.

"Well, it's beautiful, yeah," the Doctor said.

"Martha, stop," Clara said through her teeth, but Martha didn't hear.

"Is it like, you know, outer space cities, all spires and stuff?" Martha asked.

"Suppose it is," the Doctor said.

"Great big temples and cathedrals?" Martha asked.

"Yeah," the Doctor said, obviously trying to avoid the topic. Clara got up and put her arms around him and hugged his back.

"Lots of planets in the sky?" Martha asked.

"The sky's a burnt orange, with the Citadel enclosed in a mighty glass dome, shining under the twin suns," the Doctor said, patting Clara's hands, then squeezed them. "Beyond that, the mountains go on forever—slopes of deep red glass, capped with snow."

"Can we go there?" Martha asked.

"Naah!" the Doctor said. "Where's the fun for me? I don't want to go home! Instead..."

He broke free of Clara's arms and began to dance around the console again.

"This is much better," he said. "Year five billion and fifty-three, planet New Earth!"

Clara groaned. The last time they had been to New Earth, she had been taken over by Lady Cassandra. Not the best trip.

"Second hope of mankind!" the Doctor said, looking at Clara with slight worry. "Fifty thousand light years from your old world, and we're slap bang in the middle of New New York. Although, technically it's the fifteenth New York from the original, so it's New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New York. One of the most dazzling cities ever built."

Clara had been mouthing all the 'News' along with him, since he had done it when he brought herself and Rose to New, New York.

The Doctor pulled on his overcoat and Clara pulled on a purple pea coat she had found in the wardrobe and he led Clara and Martha out of the TARDIS...and into the pouring rain.

"Oh, that's nice! Time Lord version of dazzling," Martha scowled, zipping up her jacket.

"I like it," Clara said, letting the rain soak her crazy curls.

"Nah, bit of rain never hurt anyone," the Doctor said. "Come on, let's get under cover!"

He pulled Clara with him, as the three of them wandered the slummy part of the city.

"Well, it looks like the same old Earth to me," Martha said. "On a Wednesday afternoon."

"Hold on, hold on," the Doctor said. "Let's have a look."

He took out his sonic screwdriver as he walked up to a screen on a wall. There was only static, though, so the Doctor hit the screen. Clara just shook her head. Hitting something never really helped. In this case, it did, however. A woman appeared on the screen.

"-and the driving should be clear and easy, with fifteen extra lanes open for the New New Jersey expressway," she said.

The image on the screen was one that Clara remembered from the last time they were here. It was the very pretty city from before, with vehicles flying about.

"Oh, that's more like it!" the Doctor said. "That's the New we had last time. This must be the lower levels. Down in the base of the tower, some sort of under-city."

"You've brought us to the slums?" Martha asked, sounding irritated, but smiling.

"Much more interesting!" the Doctor said. "It's all cocktails and glitter up there. This is the real city."

"You'd enjoy anything," Martha teased.

"That's me," the Doctor said. "Oh, the rain's stopping! Better and better!"

"When you say 'last time,' was that you, Clara, and Rose?" Martha asked.

"Um—yeah," the Doctor said. "Yeah, it was, yeah."

"You're taking me to the same planets that you took them?" Martha asked.

"Try going to the same planet twice," Clara said. "One that's not Earth."

"What's wrong with that?" the Doctor asked the both of them.

"Nothing," Martha said, obviously bothered by it. "Just—ever heard the word 'rebound'?"

"I don't think he has," Clara said, as Martha pushed past the Doctor, vexed.

Clara started as a man flipped open the top of a green street vendor's cart. All around them, people started doing the same, shouting out what they were selling.

"Oh! You should have said," one vendor said. "How long you been there? Happy! You want Happy!"

"Customers! Customers! We've got customers!" another vendor said.

"We're in business!" a third vendor said. "Mother, open up the Mellow and the Read!"

"Happy, Happy, lovely happy Happy!" the first vendor said.

"Anger! Buy some Anger!" the second one said.

"Oh, my gosh, shut them up," Clara said, wanting to plug her ears.

"Get some Mellow, makes you feel all bendy and soft all day long!" the third vendor said.

"Younger, them," the first one said. "They'll rip you off. Do you want some Happy?"

"No, thanks," the Doctor said, frowning.

"Absolutely not," Clara said, scowling at the vendors.

"Are they selling drugs?" Martha asked.

"I think they're selling moods," the Doctor said.

"Same thing, isn't it?" Martha asked.

"Essentially," Clara said, rubbing her temples.

The vendors started yelling out again as newcomers walked by. A young, pale woman who was dressed in dark clothes walked towards the stalls.

"Over here, sweetheart!" the third vendor said. "That's it, come on, I'll get you first!"

"Oi! Oi, you! Over here!" the first vendor said. "Over here! Buy some Happy!"

"Come over here, yeah," the third vendor said. "And what can I get you, my love?"

"I want to buy Forget," the woman said.

"I've got Forget, my darling," the vendor said. "What strength? How much you want forgetting?"

"It's my mother and father," the woman said. "They went on the motorway."

"Oh, that's so sweet," the vendor said, reaching into the stall and handed a small circular token to the woman. "Try this. Forget Forty-three. That's two-pence."

The woman paid the vendor and turned away. The Doctor walked up to her before she could do anything.

"Sorry, but—hold on a minute," he said. "What happened to your parents?"

"They drove off," the woman said.

"They might drive back," the Doctor said.

"Everyone goes to the motorway in the end," the woman said. "I've lost them."

"But they can't have gone far," the Doctor said. "You could find them."

The woman just looked at him, then sighed. She stuck the circular token to her neck.

"No, no—no don't!" the Doctor said, but he was too late. The woman's expression changed from upset to serene. She also seemed a bit out of it.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" the woman asked.

"Your parents," the Doctor said. "Your mother and father. They're on the motorway."

"Are they? That's nice," the woman said.

Clara shook her head in disbelief. Martha and the Doctor also had looks of disturbance and disbelief on their faces.

"I'm sorry," the woman said. "I won't keep you."

"That's horrible," Clara said, as the woman walked away.

"So, that's the human race five billion years in the future," Martha said. "Off their heads on chemicals."

As soon as she had said that, two people sprung out behind them, carrying guns. The man grabbed Martha from behind, an arm around her neck, and pulled her off, with the woman out in front, pointing her gun at Clara and the Doctor. Martha screamed and struggled, but to no avail.

"I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry," the man said. "We just need three, that's all."

"No, let her go!" the Doctor said, screaming. "I'm warning you, let her go! Whatever you want, I can help. All three of us, we can help. But first you've got to let her go!"

"Please, let her go," Clara pleaded.

"I'm sorry," the woman said. "I'm really sorry. Sorry."

The woman, to Clara, looked and sounded like she was almost crying, as she repeated her apologies as the couple disappeared with Martha. A large green door slammed shut behind them, and the Doctor and Clara tried to wrestle the door open.

"Use the sonic!" Clara shouted, after kicking the door. The Doctor pulled out the sonic screwdriver and used it on the door. It opened the the both of them rushed after the kidnappers. They rushed through the corridor and to a car, just as it rose into the air.

"Martha!" the Doctor shouted.

The vehicle was gone, however, speeding off down the alley and out of sight. The Doctor and Clara walked slowly back to the alley where the vendors were and pounded on the door of one of the now-closed stalls. It opened quickly, where the third vendor smiled at him and Clara and leaned over the counter top.

"Those people—who were they?" the Doctor asked, mad as a hornet. "Where did they take her?"

"They've taken her to the motorway," the first vendor said, emerging from the stall.

"Looked like carjackers to me," the third vendor said.

"Used to be thriving in this place," the first vendor said. "You couldn't move. But they all go to the motorway in the end."

"He kept on saying three, we need three," the Doctor said, whirling on them. "What did he mean, three?"

"It's the car-sharing policy, to save fuel," the third vendor said. "You get special access if you're carrying three adults."

"This motorway—how do we get there?" the Doctor asked.

"Straight down the alley, keep going to the end. You can't miss it," the third vendor said.

The Doctor took Clara's hand, immediately taking off in the direction the vendor said, not losing a second.

"Tell you what—how 'bout some happy Happy? Then you'll be smiling, my loves! Or lust? How 'bout that?" the third vendor asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

The Doctor whirled around, as Clara blushed.

"Word of advice, all of you," the Doctor said. "Cash up. Close down. And pack your bags."

"Why's that then?" the vendor asked.

"Because as soon as we've found her, alive and well—and we will find her, alive and well—then I'm coming back," the Doctor said. "And this street is closing. Tonight!"

The Doctor, followed closely by Clara, ran into a corner that had a sign that read MOTORWAY ACCESS. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and forced the large door open that blocked their way. They immediately started coughing as the two of them stepped out onto the platform and into the smoke and smog. Clara put her arm over her mouth and nose, trying not to breath in so much of the dirty air, but it was impossible.

Above them, there were several thousand cars, all hovering in what seemed to be a forever on-going traffic jam. Right in front of the Doctor and Clara, the door to one of the cars opened and a large figure leaned out, covered in protective gear.

"Hey! You daft little street struts! What are you doing, standing there? Either get out or get in! Come on!" the figure yelled.

Still coughing, the Doctor and Clara jumped through the open door and into the car.

"Did you ever see the like?" the man asked.

The woman in the car handed the Doctor an oxygen mask, who passed it to Clara first. She gulped a few mouthfuls of clean air, then passed it back to the Doctor, who took it.

"Here you go," the woman said.

"Just standing there, breathing it in!" the man said, removing his goggles, cap, and scarf. Clara wasn't too surprised to see that he was a cat, just like the nurses had been when she had first been to this planet. "There's this story says back in the old days, on Junction Forty-Seven, this woman stood in the exhaust fumes for a solid twenty minutes. By the time they found her, her head had swollen to fifty feet!"

"Oh, you're making it up," the woman said.

The cat man headed to the drivers seat and said, "A fifty-foot head! Just think of it! Imagine picking that nose."

Clara snorted, amused, as the woman said, "Stop it. That's disgusting."

"What? Did you never pick your nose?" the man asked.

Suddenly, the jokes were forgotten as the woman tapped the man on the arm and said, "Bran, we're moving!"

"Right. I'm there. I'm on it," the man called Bran said.

He pulled a lever on the console and they went forward as far as they could. It was only a second or two before Bran pulled the lever again to stop them.

"Twenty yards! We're having a good day," the man said.

The woman smiled at them, as they were sitting, exchanging the oxygen mask every moment or two.

"And who might you be, sir and madam? Very well dressed for hitchhikers," the man said.

"Thanks," the Doctor said. "Sorry, I'm the Doctor, and this is Clara."

"Hello," Clara said, giving the mask back to the Doctor.

"Medical man! Ha-ha! My name's Thomas Kincade Brannigan, and this is the bane of my life, the lovely Valerie," Brannigan said.

"Nice to meet you," Valerie said.

"And that's the rest of the family behind you," Brannigan said, gesturing. The Doctor and Clara turned as he pulled back a curtain, revealing a basket of very cute mewling kittens.

"Oh, they're so cute!" Clara exclaimed.

"Aww, that's nice," the Doctor said. "Hello."

He reached down and gently picked up a tiny black kitten. Clara, with a tender expression on her face, gently petted the top of the kitten's head.

"How old are they?" the Doctor asked, turning back around.

"Just two months," Valerie said.

"Poor little souls," Brannigan said. "They've never know the ground beneath their paws. Children of the motorway," he added, at Clara's and the Doctor's confused looks.

"What, they were born in here?" the Doctor asked.

"We couldn't stop," Valerie said. "We heard there were jobs going, out in the laundries on Fire Island. Thought we'd take a chance."

"What? You've been driving for two months?" the Doctor asked.

"Do I look like a teenager?" Brannigan asked. "We've been driving for twelve years now."

"What?" Clara asked, her jaw dropping, stunned.

"I'm sorry?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah! Started out as newlyweds! Feels like yesterday," Brannigan said.

"Feels like twelve years to me," Valerie said.

"Ahh, sweetheart, but you're still lovely," Brannigan said, tickling her and she giggled.

Clara smiled at the love between the two of them and hoped she could stay with the Doctor for that long.

"Twelve years?!" the Doctor asked, still not wrapping his head around that fact. "How far did you come? Where did you start?"

"Battery Park," Brannigan said. "It's five miles back."

"You traveled five miles in twelve years?" the Doctor asked.

"Seriously?" Clara asked, confused.

"I think they're a bit slow," Brannigan said, and Clara flushed slightly. The Doctor put the kitten back with the others.

"Where are you two from?" Valerie asked.

"Never mind that, we've got to get out," the Doctor said. "My friend's in one of these cars. She was taken hostage. We should get back to the TARDIS."

He reached over and pulled the door open, but there was nothing outside but a cloud of smoke.

"You're too late for that," Brannigan said. "We've passed the lay-by."

Clara waved her hand in front of her face, once again coughing, as the Doctor closed the door, also coughing.

"You're both passengers now, Sonny Jim!" Brannigan said.

"When's the next lay-by?" the Doctor asked urgently.

"Oh...six months?" Brannigan said, thinking about it.

"Six months?!" Clara exclaimed.

"Still a bit slow," Brannigan said, and Clara flushed again.

"Is there police out here?" the Doctor asked.

"You can try, but you'll probably be put on hold," Valerie said, gesturing to the screen in the car. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and soniced the screen.

"I need to talk to the police," the Doctor said into the transmitter he was holding.

"Thank you for your call," an electronic voice said. "You have been place on hold."

These words also appeared on the screen in front of them, as Clara peered over his shoulder.

"But you're the police!" the Doctor said.

"Thank you for your call," the voice said again. "You have been placed on hold."

"Is there anyone else?" the Doctor asked, going to the front of the car where Brannigan and Valerie were. "I once met the Duke of Manhattan; is there any way of getting through to him?"

"Oh, now, ain't you lordly?" Brannigan asked.

"We've got to find our friend," the Doctor said.

"You can't make outside calls," Valerie said. "The motorway's completely enclosed."

"What about the other cars?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, we've got contact with them, yeah," Brannigan said. "Well, some of them, anyway. They've got to be on your friends list. Now, let's see—who's nearby? Ahh! The Cassini sisters!"

He held up the transmitter and said, "Still your hearts, my handsome girls. It's Brannigan here."

"Get off the line, Brannigan," one voice said. "You're a pest and a menace."

"Oh, come on, now, sisters. Is that any way to talk to an old friend?" Brannigan asked.

"You know full well we're not sisters," the woman said. "We're married."

"Ooh, stop that modern talk!" Brannigan said. "I'm an old-fashioned cat. Now, I've got a couple of hitchhikers here, one calls himself the Doctor."

He handed the transmitter over to the Doctor who grabbed it and said into it, "Hello. Sorry. I'm looking for someone called Martha Jones. She's been carjacked. She's inside one of these vehicles, but I don't know which one."

"Wait a minute," one of the women said. "Could I ask, what entrance did they use?"

"Where are we?" the Doctor asked Brannigan.

"Pharmacy Town," Brannigan said.

"Pharmacy Town, about twenty minutes ago," the Doctor said.

"Let's have a look," the woman on the transmitter said. "In the last half-hour, fifty-three new cars joined from the Pharmacy Town junction."

"Anything more specific?" the Doctor asked.

"All in good time," the woman said. "Was she car-jacked by two people?"

"Yes, she was, yeah," the Doctor said.

"There we are," the woman said. "Just one of those cars was destined for the fast lane. That means they had three on board. And car number is four six five diamond six."

"That's it!" the Doctor exclaimed. "So, how do we find them?"

"Ah," the woman said. "Now, there I'm afraid I can't help.

"Call them on this thing," the Doctor said to Brannigan. "We've got their number. Diamond six."

"Not if they're designated fast lane," Brannigan said. "It's a different class."

"Is there nothing we can do?" Clara asked.

"You could try the police," the woman on the radio said.

"They put me on hold," the Doctor said.

"You'll have to keep trying," the other woman said. "There's no one else."

"Thank you," the Doctor said.

"We appreciate your help," Clara said, and then the Doctor handed Brannigan the transmitter.

The Doctor thought for a moment, then said, "We've got to go to the fast lane. Take us down."

"Not in a million years," Brannigan said.

"You've got four passengers!" the Doctor insisted.

"I'm still not going," Brannigan said.

"She's alone and she's lost," the Doctor said. "She doesn't belong on this planet, and it's all my fault. I'm asking you, Brannigan—take us down."

"That's a not," Valerie said. "And that's final. I'm not risking the children down there."

"Why not?" the Doctor asked. "What's the risk? What happens down there?"

"We're not discussing it!" Valerie snapped. "The conversation is closed!"

"So we keep on driving," the Doctor said.

"Yes, we do," Brannigan said.

"For how long," the Doctor asked.

"'Til the journey's end," Brannigan said.

The Doctor reached past Brannigan to take the transmitter.

"Mrs. Cassini, this is the Doctor. Tell me, how long have you been driving on the motorway?"

"Oh, we were amongst the first," Alice Cassini said. "It's been twenty-three years now."

"And in all that time, have you ever seen a police car?" the Doctor asked.

Clara looked at him, wondering what he was up to.

"I'm not sure," May Cassini said.

"Look at your notes. Any police?" the Doctor asked.

"Not as such," May said, sounding upset.

"Or an ambulance? Rescue service? Anything official? _Ever_?" the Doctor asked.

"I can't keep a note of everything," May said.

"What if there's no one out there?" the Doctor asked.

Brannigan reached over and snatched the transmitter from the Doctor.

"Stop it," he said. "The Cassinis' were doing you a favor."

"Someone's got to ask," the Doctor said. "'Cause you might not talk about it, but it's there. In your eyes."

Clara noticed that it was definitely in Brannigan's eyes. The Doctor hit the imaginary nail on the head.

"What if the traffic jam never stops?" the Doctor asked.

"There's a whole city above us," Brannigan said. "The mighty city-state of New New York. They wouldn't just leave us."

"In that case, where are they? Hmm? What if there's no help coming, not ever? What if there's nothing? Just the motorway, with the cars going round and round and round, never stopping? Forever?" the Doctor asked.

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Valerie yelled.

Clara felt bad for these people, but they needed to see the truth, even if they didn't want to hear it. The screen in front of them came to life and it was the same blond woman from the screen in the street.

"This is Sally Calypso, and it's that time again. The sun is blazing high in the sky over the New Atlantic, the perfect setting for the daily contemplation," she said.

"You think you know us so well, Doctor. But we're not abandoned. Not while we have each other," Brannigan said.

"This is for all of you out there on the roads. We're so sorry. Drive safe," Sally said.

Clara was very familiar with the song that came on. She had tears in her eyes as she recalled her parents' funeral so long ago. She mouthed along with the words, a tear escaping from her eye.

_On a hill, far away_

_Stood an old, rugged cross_

_The emblem of suffering and shame_

_And I love that old cross_

_Where the dearest and best_

_For a world of lost sinners was slain_

_So I'll cherish the old, rugged cross, rugged cross_

_Till my trophies at last I lay down, I lay down_

_I will cling to the old, rugged cross, rugged cross_

_And exchange it some day for a crown. _

When the song was over, the Doctor jumped up.

"If you won't take us, we'll go down on our own," he said, taking Clara's hand. He pulled her to the middle of the car, then pulled out his sonic screwdriver and inspected the floor.

"What do you think you're doing?" Brannigan asked, shocked.

"Finding my own way," the Doctor said. "I usually do."

"Capsule open," an electronic voice said.

"Are you sure about this?" Clara asked, looking down at the hundreds of cars below them. One was right below them as they prepared to jump.

"Here we go," the Doctor said, then took off his coat and tossed it to Brannigan. "Look after this. I love that coat. Janis Joplin gave me that coat."

"But you can't jump!" Valerie said.

"I'm thinking the same thing," Clara said, looking very unsure about the whole thing.

"If it's any consolation, Valerie, right now, _I'm_ having kittens," the Doctor said, and Clara snorted.

"This Martha—she must mean an awful lot to the both of you," Brannigan said.

"Hardly know her," the Doctor said. "I was too busy showing off. And I lied to her. Couldn't help it, just lied."

He looked at Clara, and she nodded, more focused now.

"Bye then!" the Doctor said, taking Clara's hand, and they both jumped down, landing on the next car. Clara didn't have time to let out a shriek, but started coughing from the fumes. Clara put her arm over her mouth and nose to try and keep out the fumes as the Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and opened the top of it. He and Clara dropped into the car and found a man in it, dressed in white, and very pale.

"Capsule open," an electronic voice said.

"Who the hell are you?" the man asked, looking at the two of them.

"Sorry," the Doctor said. "We're Motorway Foot Patrol. We're doing a survey. How are you enjoying your motorway?"

He turned and opened the bottom of the floor.

"Well, not very much, no," the man said. "Junction Five's been closed for three years!"

"Thank you," the Doctor said.

"Sorry about that," Clara said.

"Your comments have been noted. Have a nice day!" the Doctor said

He jumped through the bottom of the floor with Clara right behind him. Clara tried holding her breath as the Doctor opened the next hatch, but had to take a breath and started choking on the fumes.

"Capsule open," the electronic voice said.

They dropped down in, startling two Asian girls. The Doctor quickly worked on the next opening, as Clara was coughing her head off.

"Thank you for your cooperation. Your comments have been noted," the Doctor said, then picked up a blue handkerchief and a purple one. He handed the purple one to Clara, who gratefully tied it over her face to cover her mouth and nose.

"Do you mind if we borrow these? Not my color, but thank you very much," the Doctor said, not really waiting for an answer.

The two of them jumped to the next car and Clara was startled and looked away as they stumbled upon two very naked drivers.

"Capsule open," the electronic voice said.

"Oh! Don't mind us," the Doctor said.

"Sorry," Clara said, averting her eyes.

In the next car, which was bathed in red light, they found a very large man.

"Capsule open," the electronic voice said.

The Doctor saluted the man and Clara waggled her fingers at him as they jumped down to the next car. They jumped down to a car that had a business man in it in a pinstripe suit.

"Capsule open," the electronic voice said.

"'Scuse me, is that legal?" the businessman asked.

Clara had broken out into a coughing fit again.

"Sorry, Motorway Foot Patrol," the Doctor said, before he, too, broke out into a cough. "Whatever. Have you got any water?"

"Certainly," the businessman said. "Never let it be said I've lost my manners."

He reached over and filled two cone-shaped cups with water and handed them to the Doctor and Clara. Clara gulped her water down, breathing hard from the coughing.

"Thank you," Clara said.

"Is this the last layer?" the Doctor asked.

"Ah, we're right at the bottom. Nothing below us but the fast lane," the businessman said.

"Can we drive down?" the Doctor asked.

"We could, but really don't want to," the businessman said.

The Doctor ran over to the door in the bottom of the car and opened it with his sonic screwdriver.

"You can't jump," the businessman said. "It's a thousand feet down!"

"No, I just want to look," the Doctor said, as he and Clara looked down below them into the thick fog. Faintly, they heard a screeching roar.

"What the-?" Clara said, squinting into the fumes.

"What's that noise?" the Doctor asked.

"I try not to think about it," the businessman said. "One of the reasons I didn't want to go down."

"What are those lights? What's down there?" the Doctor asked, and coughed again. "I just need to _see_."

He got up and went to the screen and used his sonic screwdriver on it.

"There must be some sort of ventilation," the Doctor said, getting manic, like he usual did in the TARDIS. "If I could just transmit a pulse through this thing, maybe I could trip the system, give us as bit of a breeze."

Clara sat, slightly bored, as the Doctor was tearing out the wiring on the screen, trying to get a ventilation going.

"That's it!" he said, as one of the wires snapped in his fingers. "Might shift the fumes a bit, give us as good look."

The three of them peered out the bottom of the car.

"What are those shapes?" the businessman said.

"They look like-" Clara said, then broke off as huge snapping claws materialized from the smoke. "Oh, my gosh."

"They're alive," the Doctor said.

"What the hell are they?" the businessman asked.

The whole creature had now appeared. They were extremely large crabs and the lights from below were their eyes.

"They're giant crabs!" Clara exclaimed.

"The Macra used to be the scourge of this galaxy," the Doctor said. "Gas. They fed off gas, the filthier the better. They built up a small empire using humans as slaves and mining gas for food."

"They don't exactly look like empire-builders to me," the businessman said.

"Well, that was billions of years ago," the Doctor said. "Billions. They must've devolved down the years and now they're just beasts. But they're still hungry and my friend's down there."

"But how to get down there?" Clara wondered out loud.

There was a clank suddenly from the top of the car and the three of them looked up.

"Oh, it's like New Times Square in here, for goodness sake!" the businessman said.

Someone's feet dangled down and a cat woman dropped down into the vehicle with them.

"We've invented a sport!" the Doctor said, looking excitedly at Clara.

"Doctor, you're a hard man to find," the cat nurse said.

"No guns! I'm not having guns!" the businessman said, spotting the gun in the cat's hands.

"I only brought this in case of pirates," the cat said. "Doctor, you've got to come with me."

"Do I know you?" the Doctor asked.

"You haven't aged at all," the cat said. "Time as been less kind to me."

"Novice Hame!" the Doctor exclaimed, hugging her, grinning. "No, hold on, get off. Last time we met, you were breeding humans for experimentation."

"Oh, that's who it is," Clara said with realization.

"I've sought forgiveness, Doctor, for so many years, under his guidance. And if you come with me, I might finally be able to redeem myself," Novice Hame said.

"I'm not going anywhere," the Doctor said. "You've got Macra living underneath this city. Macra! And if my friend's still alive, she's stuck down there!"

"You've got to come with me right now!" Novice Hame said.

"No, no, no, you're coming with me," the Doctor said. "We've got more than three passengers now."

"I'm sorry, Doctor," Novice Hame said. "But the situation is even worse than you can imagine."

Clara was just able to grab the Doctor's jacket as Novice Hame took hold of the Doctor's wrist and hit a button on the wristband she was wearing.

"Transport," Novice Hame said.

"Don't you dare! Don't you dare!" the Doctor shouted, grabbing hold of Clara fully.

It was too late when he yelled, though. The three of them vanished from the businessman's car in a bright white light. Clara was winded as they landed on the floor in a very large, dusty room.

"Oh! Rough transport," the Doctor said, picking himself and helping Clara up off the floor. "Ow. But you can go straight back down and teleport people out, starting with Martha.

"I only had the power for one trip," Novice Hame said.

"Then get some more! Where are we?" the Doctor asked.

"High above, in the over-city," Novice Hame said.

"Good! 'Cause you can tell the Senate of New New York I'd like a word," the Doctor said. "They've got thousands of people trapped on the motorway! Millions!"

"But you're inside the Senate, right now," Novice Hame said. "May the goddess Santori bless them."

Clara flinched backwards as they looked up as saw long rows above them, all filled with skeletons.

"They died, Doctor. The city died," Novice Hame said.

"How long's it been like this?" the Doctor asked.

"Twenty-four years," Novice Hame said. Clara stayed away from the skeleton as the Doctor knelt next to it and examined it.

"All of them? Everyone? What happened?" the Doctor asked.

"A new chemical," Novice Hame said. "A new mood. They called it Bliss."

After examining the token that Novice Hame had pulled off the skeleton, the Doctor showed it to Clara over his shoulder.

"Everyone tried it," Novice Hame said. "They couldn't stop. A virus mutated inside the compound and became airborne. Everything perished—even the virus, in the end. It killed the world in seven minutes flat. There was just enough time to close down the walkways and the flyovers, sealing off the under-city. Those people on the motorway aren't lost, Doctor. They were saved."

"That's horrible," Clara whispered.

"So, the whole thing down there is running on automatic?" the Doctor asked.

"There's not enough power to get them out," Novice Hame said. "We did all we could to stop the system from choking."

"Who's 'we?' How did you survive?" the Doctor asked.

"He protected me," Novice Hame said, brightening. "And he has waited for you, these long years."

"Doctor," a low, grumbling voice said.

Clara followed the Doctor into the next room, where the Face of Boe was.

"The Face of Boe!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"I knew you would come," the Face of Boe said.

"Back in the old days, I was made his nurse, as penance for my sins," Novice said.

"Old friend, what happened to you?" the Doctor asked.

"Failing," the Face of Boe said.

"He protected me from the virus by shrouding me in his smoke," Novice Hame said. "But with no one to maintain it, the City's power died. The under-city would have fallen into the sea."

"So he saved them," the Doctor said.

"The Face of Boe wired himself into the mainframe," Novice Hame said. "He's giving his life force just to keep things running."

"But there are planets out there," the Doctor said. "You could have called for help."

"The last act of the Senate was to declare New Earth unsafe. The automatic quarantine lasts for one hundred years," Novice Hame said.

"So, the two of you stayed here—on your own, for all these years," the Doctor said, standing up.

Clara stayed kneeling on the floor in front of the Face of Boe and put her hand on the tank. She felt a connection to him for some reason.

"We had no choice," Novice Hame said, and the Doctor put his hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, you did," the Doctor said.

"Save them, Doctor. Save them," the Face of Boe said.

While the Doctor rushed around, Clara stayed on the floor, talking with the Face of Boe. It was then that she heard his voice in her head.

"_You will find the truth if you stay with him, Clara_," the Face of Boe said.

"What truth?" she asked. "I keep hearing about 'the truth' and I don't know what it means!"

"_You will find out in time_," the Face of Boe said.

Clara gave a frustrated sigh and went over to the Doctor, who was staring at a screen with his brainy specs on.

"Car Four Six Five Diamond Six—it still registers!" the Doctor exclaimed. "That's Martha. I knew she was good. Novice Hame, hold that in place. Clara, come with me!"

He jumped back from the screen and handed Novice Hame a piece of thick tubing. He ran along the length of the tubing, with Clara right behind him, jumping over a box of lights and buttons.

"Think, think, think," the Doctor said out loud. "Take the residual energy, invert it, feed it through the electricity beds."

"There isn't enough power," Novice Hame said.

The Doctor and Clara reached the far wall that had screens, wiring, and lots of buttons.

"Ah, you've got power!" the Doctor said. "You've got me! I'm brilliant with computers, just you watch. Hame, every switch on that bank, up to maximum! Clara, rotate that knob!"

Clara worked on rotating the knob, while the Doctor aimed his sonic screwdriver at it.

"I can't power up the city, but all the city needs is people," the Doctor said, banging his fist against the console.

"So, what are you going to do?" Novice Hame asked.

"This!" the Doctor said, flipping a switch on the floor and all the lights on the console went out.

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" the Doctor shouted. He went to the floor, using his sonic screwdriver on another set of controls.

"The transformers are blocked," the Doctor said. "The signal can't get through."

"Doctor..." the Face of Boe said.

"Yeah, hold on, not now," the Doctor said.

"I give you my last..." the Face of Boe said, then let out a long, rasping breath. All the consoles switched back on and everything started working. The Doctor suddenly jumped up.

"Hame, look after him! Don't you go dying on me, you big old face. You've got to see this," the Doctor said, flipping the large switch on the floor again. "The open road. Hah!"

Outside in the city, the doors above the motorway were opening. Clara didn't really pause to watch it, but went to the Face of Boe's side. He was having trouble breathing, and looked very weak.

"Doctor!" Novice Hame called out, as the case around the Face of Boe started to crack. The Doctor came over to them, his face falling.

A few minutes later, Martha's voice called out.

"Doctor? Clara?" she called.

"Over here," the Doctor said. He was on the floor beside Clara, kneeling down by the Face of Boe. He had broken out of his case and was really struggling to breath now.

"Doctor!" Martha called, running over to him and Clara. "What happened out there?"

She then spotted the Face of Boe and frowned.

"What's that?" she asked.

"It's the Face of Boe," the Doctor said. "It's all right. Come and say hello. And this is Hame. She's a cat. Don't worry."

Martha slowly approached the Face of Boe.

"He's the one that saved you, not me," the Doctor said.

"My lord gave his life to save the city," Novice Hame said. Martha knelt down next to Novice Hame. "And now he's dying."

"No, don't say that," the Doctor said. "Not old Boe. Plenty of life left."

"It's good to breathe the air once more," the Face of Boe said.

"Who is he?" Martha asked.

"I don't even know," the Doctor said. "Legend says the Face of Boe has lived for billions of years. Isn't that right? And you're not about to give up now."

"Everything has its time. You know that, old friend, better than most," the Face of Boe said.

"The legend says more," Novice Hame said.

"Don't," the Doctor said. "There's no need for that."

"It says that the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to a traveler," Novice Hame said, ignoring the Doctor.

"Yeah, but not yet," the Doctor said. "Who needs secrets, eh?"

"You do?" Clara said, smiling.

"I have seen so much," the Face of Boe said. "Perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind—as you are the last of yours, Doctor."

"That's why we have to survive," the Doctor said, desperate now. Clara put her hand on his shoulder. "Both of us. Don't go."

"I must," the Face of Boe said. "But know this, Time Lord. You are not alone."

Clara gave a soft gasp, as the Face of Boe's eyes closed for the last time. A tear escaped from the corner of her eyes and Novice Hame began to sob. The Doctor stood and helped Clara to her feet and put his arm around her shoulder.

They left the Senate and made their way back to the alley where all the vendors were, but this time, it was deserted.

"All closed down," the Doctor said.

"Happy?" Martha asked.

"Happy happy," the Doctor said and Clara smiled. "New New York can start again. And they've got Novice Hame. Just what every city needs—cats in charge! Come on, time we were off."

He started to walk off, after taking Clara's hand, but Martha didn't move.

"But what did he mean, the Face of Boe?" Martha asked.

Clara let out a groan, knowing this was coming.

"'You're not alone'," Martha said.

"I don't know," the Doctor said.

Martha stepped towards him, smiling, but it was a mischievous smile.

"You've got me and Clara," Martha said. "Is that what he meant?"

The Doctor shook his head, looking like he was trying not to laugh.

"I don't think so," he said. "Sorry."

"Then what?" Martha asked.

"Doesn't matter," the Doctor said. "Back to the TARDIS, off we go."

The Doctor turned with Clara again, but Martha grabbed a chair and set it up, sitting in it, folding her arms. The Doctor turned around again.

"All right, you staying?" he asked.

"'Til either of you talk to me properly, yes," Martha said, looking between the two of them.

"That's between you and the Doctor," Clara said, putting her hands in the air.

"Alright," Martha said, turning to the Doctor. "He said 'last of your kind.' What does that mean?"

"It really doesn't matter," the Doctor said, seeming like he didn't care.

"Doctor..." Clara said. She thought that Martha deserved to know the truth.

"You don't talk," Martha said. "You never say! Why not?"

It was silent for a moment, and then they heard singing. It was all the citizens of New New York singing.

"It's the city," Martha said, enchanted. "They're singing."

"It's beautiful," Clara said, smiling gently.

"I lied to you, 'cause I liked it," the Doctor said slowly to Martha. Clara took his hand, knowing it wasn't easy for him. "I could pretend. Just for a bit, I could imagine they were still alive, underneath a burnt orange sky. I'm not just a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. The Face of Boe was wrong. There's no one else."

"What happened?" Martha asked.

The Doctor grabbed his own chair and sat across from Martha. Clara stood behind him and squeezed his shoulder, knowing this was a difficult topic for him.

"There was a war," he said. "A Time War. The last Great Time War. My people fought a race called the Daleks, for the sake of all creation. And they lost. They lost. Everyone lost. They're all gone now. My family, my friends, even that sky. Oh, you should have seen it, that old planet. The second sun would rise in the south, and the mountains would shine. The leaves on the trees were silver, and when they caught the light every morning, it looked like a forest on fire. When the autumn came, the breeze would blow through the branches like a song..."

"Are you alright?" Clara asked the Doctor softly as they entered in the TARDIS.

"'Course I am," the Doctor said, flipping controls on the console. "I'm always alright."

Clara could do nothing but watch as he went about the console with his usual vigor, off to another place.


	32. Daleks in Manhattan

**Daleks in Manhattan**

Stepping out of the TARDIS, Clara pulled her cable knit jacket closer to her to ward off the cool breeze that was blowing in.

"Where are we?" Martha asked.

"When are we?" Clara asked, and the girls looked at each other and smiled.

"Ah, smell that Atlantic breeze," the Doctor said. "Nice and cold. Lovely. Martha, Clara, have you met my friend?"

Clara turned around and shaded her eyes to see the Statue of Liberty.

"Is that-? Oh, my gosh! That's the Statue of Liberty!" Martha exclaimed.

"New York, or New New York?" Clara joked.

"Gateway to the New World," the Doctor said, after smiling at Clara's joke. "'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to break free...'"

"That's so brilliant," Martha said. "I've always wanted to got to New York. I mean, the real New York, not the new, new, new, new, new..."

Clara snorted and smirked at Martha.

"Well, there's the genuine article," the Doctor said. "So good, they named it twice. Mind you, it was New Amsterdam originally. Harder to say twice. No wonder it didn't catch on. New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam."

"I wonder what year it is 'cause look, the Empire State Building's not even finished yet," Martha commented.

"Work in progress," the Doctor said, as they looked at the unfinished building. "Still got a couple floors to go, and if I know my history, that makes the date somewhere around-"

"November 1, 1930," Martha said, finding a newspaper.

"You're getting good at this," the Doctor said, taking the newspaper from her.

"Eighty years ago," Martha said. "It's funny 'cause you see all those old newsreels in black and white like it's so far away, but here we are. It's real. It's now. Come on, you two. Where do we go first?"

"I think our detour just got longer," the Doctor said, showing the two of them the headline on the newspaper.

"'Hooverville Mystery Deepens'," Martha read out loud. "What's Hooverville?"

"It was a town in the middle of Central Park," Clara said. "Or near enough a town."

"Shall we?" the Doctor asked, offering Clara his arm.

"We shall," Clara said, taking it and the three of them strolled through Central Park.

"Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the USA, came to power a year ago," the Doctor said. "Up till then, New York was a boom town, the Roaring Twenties, and then..."

"The Wall Street Crash, yeah?" Martha said. "When was that, 1929?"

"Yeah. Whole economy wiped out overnight," the Doctor said. "Thousands of people unemployed. Suddenly, the huddled masses doubled in number with nowhere to go. So, they ended us here in Central Park."

"What? They actually live in the park?" Martha asked. "In the middle of the city?"

"Where else were they s'pose to go?" Clara asked, as they entered Hooverville. There were shacks and tents everywhere and fire barrels.

"Ordinary people. Lost their jobs. Couldn't pay the rent and lost everything," the Doctor said. "There are places like this all over America. You only come to Hooverville when there's nowhere else to go."

There were two men not that far way from them, fighting.

"You thievin' low life!" the first man shouted, and punched the second man.

"You took my loaf!" the second man shouted.

"I didn't touch it!" the first man yelled.

"Cut that out!" another man, breaking in.

The two men ignored him and kept on fighting.

"Cut that out! Right now!" the man yelled, pushing the two men apart.

"He stole my bread!" the first man accused.

"That's enough!" the man said. "Did you take it?"

"I don't know what happened," the second man said. "He just went crazy."

The first man lunged at the second man, but was held back.

"That's enough!" the man yelled. The Doctor, Clara, and Martha wandered over with the crowd to see what was going on.

"Now, think real careful before you lie to me," the man said.

"I'm starvin', Solomon," the second man said.

The man named Solomon held out his hand and the second man reached under his coat and pulled out a loaf of bread and handed it over to Solomon.

"We're all starvin'," Solomon said, breaking the bread in half and handed each man a half. "We all got families somewhere. No stealin' and no fightin'. You know the rules. Thirteen years ago, I fought in the Great War. A lot of us did. And the only reason we got through was because we stuck together! No matter how bad things get, we still act like human beings. It's all we got."

"Come on," the Doctor said to Martha and Clara, then went to Solomon. "I suppose that makes you the boss around here."

"And, uh, who might you be?" Solomon asked.

"He's the Doctor, she's Clara. I'm Martha."

"A doctor," Solomon scoffed. "Well, we go, uh, stockbrokers, we got a lawyer, but you're the first doctor. Neighborhood gets classier by the day."

"How many people live here?" Martha asked.

"At any one time, hundreds," Solomon said, warming his hands over a fire. "No place else to go. But I will say this about Hooverville. We are a truly equal society, black, white, all the same. All starving. So, you're welcome. All three of you. But tell me, Doctor, you're a man of learning, right? Explain this to me. That there's going to be the tallest building in the world. How come they can do that, and we got people starving in the heart of Manhattan?"

"I dunno," the Doctor admitted. He took the newspaper out of his pocket and showed it to Solomon. "So...men are going missing. Is this true?"

"It's true all right," Solomon said, taking the newspaper and went inside the tent.

The Doctor stood at the entrance of the tent and said, "But what does missing mean? Men must come and go here all the time. It's not like anyone's keeping a register."

"C'mon in," Solomon said, and the Doctor, Clara, and Martha entered the tent and sat. "This is different."

"In what way?" Martha asked.

"Someone takes them," Solomon said. "At night. We hear something. Someone calls out for help. By the time we get there, they're gone. Like they vanish into thin air."

"And you're sure someone's taking them?" the Doctor asked.

"Doctor, when you got next to nothing, you hold on to the little you got," Solomon said. "Your knife, blanket, you take it with you. You don't leave bread uneaten, fire still burning."

"Have you been to the police?" Martha asked.

"Yeah, we tried that. Another deadbeat goes missing, big deal," Solomon said.

"That's not fair," Clara protested, and Solomon just shrugged.

"So, the question is, who's taking them and what for?" the Doctor said.

A young man entered the tent then and said, "Solomon, Mr. Diagoras is here."

They all left the tent to see a man in a business suit, addressing all the men of Hooverville.

"I need men. Volunteers. I got a little work for you and you sure look like you can use the money," the man said.

"Yeah. What is the money?" the young man named Frank asked.

"A dollar a day," Diagoras said and all the men grumbled.

"What's the work?" Solomon asked.

"A little trip down the sewers. Got a tunnel that collapsed needs clearing and fixing. Any takers?" Diagoras asked.

"A dollar a day?" Solomon asked. "That's slave wage. Men don't always come back up, do they?"

"Accidents happen," Diagoras said.

"What do you mean? What sort of accidents?" the Doctor asked.

"You don't need the work? That's fine," Diagoras said. "Anybody else?"

The Doctor raised his hand in the air.

"Enough with the questions," Diagoras said.

"Oh, n-n-no," the Doctor said. "I'm volunteering."

Clara would have smacked him in the forehead with her palm if she could've, but instead, she raised her hand along with Martha.

"I'll kill you for this," Martha said.

"And I'll help her," Clara threatened, as Frank and Solomon raised their hands.

"Oh, my gosh, it smells," Clara said, as they climbed down into the sewers.

"Turn left," Diagoras said. "Go about half a mile. Follow Tunnel 273. Fall's right ahead of you. You can't miss it."

"And when do we get our dollar?" Frank asked.

"When you come back up," Diagoras said.

"And if we don't come back up?" the Doctor asked.

"Then I got no one to pay," Diagoras said.

"We'll be back," Solomon said.

"Let's hope so," Martha said.

"Or else we kill the Doctor," Clara said, getting a smile out of Martha.

They turned with Solomon and Frank and started down the tunnel. The Doctor joined them after a moment.

"We just gotta stick together," Frank said. "It's easy to get lost. It's like a huge rabbit warren. You could hide an army down here."

"So, what about you, Frank? You're not from around these parts, are you?" Martha asked the young man.

"Oh, you could talk. You and your friend here," Frank said, gesturing to Clara. "No, no, I'm from Tennessee, born and bred."

"So, how come you're here?" Martha asked.

"Uh, my daddy died," Frank said. "Mama...couldn't afford to feed us all. So, I'm the oldest, up to me to feed myself, so put on my coat, hitched up here on the railroads. There's a whole lot of runaways in camp younger than me. From all over; Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas...Solomon keeps a lookout for us. So, what about you two? You're a long way from home."

"Yeah, I'm just a hitcher, too," Martha said.

"We're both a long ways from home," Clara said.

"You both stick with me, you'll be all right," Frank said.

"Aww, thanks!" Clara said, liking the younger man.

"So, this Diagoras bloke, who is he then?" the Doctor asked, sneaking up behind Clara and startling her. He took her hand to calm her.

"A couple of months ago, he was just another foreman," Solomon said. "Now, it seems like he's running most of Manhattan."

"How did he manage that, then?" the Doctor asked.

"These are strange times," Solomon said. "A man can go from being King of the Hill to the lowest of the low overnight. It's just for some folks it works the other way 'round."

"Whoa!" the Doctor said, stopping everyone in their tracks.

"Eww! That looks gross," Clara said, wrinkling her nose. A blob was lying on the ground, giving off a green glow. It looked slimy and disgusting.

"Is it radioactive or something?" Martha asked, coming forward.

The Doctor dropped Clara's hand, and his torch and crouched beside the blob.

"It's gone off, whatever it is," Martha said, covering her mouth and nose.

"It's even worse than the sewer smell," Clara said, agreeing.

The Doctor put on his brainy specs and picked up the blob.

"And you've got to pick it up," Martha said.

"At least he didn't lick it," Clara said.

The Doctor did the next 'best' thing and sniffed it.

"Shine your torch through it," he said, and Martha used her torch. "Composite organic matter. Martha? Medical opinion?"

"It's not human," Martha said. "I know that."

"No, it's not," the Doctor said. "And I'll tell you something else. We must be at least half a mile in and I don't see any sign of a collapse, do you? So, why did Mr. Diagoras send us down here?"

"He's a crook?" Clara guessed.

"So, where are we now? What's above us?" Martha asked.

"Well...we're right underneath Manhattan," the Doctor said.

"We're way beyond half a mile," Solomon said. "There's no collapse, nothing."

"That Diagoras bloke, was he lying?" Martha asked.

"Looks like it," the Doctor said.

"So, why did he want people to come down here?" Frank asked.

"A trap?" Clara said.

"Solomon, I think it's time you took these three back. I'll be much quicker on my own," the Doctor said.

Clara was about to protest, when they heard a squealing sound echo throughout the tunnels.

"What the hell was that?" Solomon asked.

"Hello?!" Frank called out.

"Shh!" Martha and Clara hissed.

"Frank," Solomon warned.

"What if it's one of the folk gone missing?" Frank asked. "You'd be scared, half-mad down here on your own."

"Do you think they're still alive?" the Doctor asked.

"Heck, we ain't seen no bodies down here," Frank said. "Maybe they just got lost."

They heard even more squealing.

"I know I never heard nobody make a sound like that," Solomon said.

"It doesn't sound human," Clara said.

"Sounds like there's more than one of 'em," Frank said.

"This way," the Doctor said, a little ways ahead of them.

"No, that way," Solomon said, shining his torch down another tunnel.

"What's that?" Clara asked, as the light from his torch caught sight of a figure on the ground.

"Doctor..." Martha said and the Doctor rejoined them.

"Who are you?" Solomon asked.

"Are you lost? Can you understand me? I've been thinkin' about folk lost..." Frank said, walking forward, but the Doctor stopped him.

"It's all right, Frank," the Doctor said. "Just stay back. Let me have a look. He's got a point, though, my mate Frank. I'd hate to be stuck down here on my own. We know the way out. Daylight. If you want to come with us. Oh, but what are you?"

Clara took a step back at the sight of the face. It was a pig man that was squealing slightly.

"Oh, my gosh," Clara said.

"Is, us, that some kind of carnival mask?" Solomon asked.

"No, it's real," the Doctor said, then addressed the pig man. "I'm sorry. Now, listen to me. I promise I can help. Now, who did this to you?"

"Doctor, I think you'd better get back here," Martha warned, as shadows fell across the wall. More pig men filled the opposite end of the tunnel and Clara took a step back.

"I think we'd all better get back," Clara suggested.

"Doctor!" Martha said.

"Actually...good point," the Doctor said, standing and backed up towards the others.

"They're following you," Martha pointed out.

"Yeah, I noticed that, thanks," the Doctor said, reaching them. "Well, then,Clara, Martha, Frank, Solomon..."

"What?" Martha asked.

"Um, basically...run!" the Doctor shouted and they all booked it down the tunnel. Martha stopped right in front of Clara and Clara ran into the back of her.

"Where are we going?!" Martha asked.

"This way!" the Doctor shouted, after helping Clara up of the ground and ran down the right hand tunnel. The Doctor jerked to a stop, yanking Clara with him, since he was holding her hand. "There's a ladder!"

He climbed the ladder and soniced the lid open. Martha followed right after him, but Solomon and Clara both hesitated when they saw Frank pick up a piece of metal to hold off the pig men.

"Frank!" Solomon called as he climbed up the ladder.

"Clara, come on!" the Doctor shouted.

Clara ran to the ladder and was followed closely by Frank. The Doctor and Solomon had their hands reached down, ready to pull them up.

"C'mon, Frank! C'mon!" Solomon called out to the both of them.

"Come on, Clara! I've got ya. C'mon!" the Doctor shouted. The Doctor barely touched Clara's hand before she was yanked off the ladder, same as Frank.

"Frank!" Solomon shouted.

"Doctor, help!" Clara cried out as the pig men carried her off down the tunnel.

"No!" she heard the Doctor shout and then she heard the lid close. Clara struggled, but to no avail. Next to her, Frank looked almost too terrified to move. They were taken to another tunnel where there were more humans, lined up against the tunnel wall. Frank and Clara were both pushed into line also.

They were marched down the next tunnel, where they met up with more pig men, lining even more humans up along the wall, including Martha.

"Martha," Frank said.

"You're both alive!" Martha said, hugging Frank, then Clara.

"Hey," Frank said.

"I thought we'd lost you," Martha said.

"Can't get rid of us that easily," Clara said. A pig man pushed at them for them to keep moving.

"All right! All right, we're moving," Martha said.

"Wait," Frank said. "Where are they taking us?"

"I don't know, but we can find out what's going on down here," Martha said.

"I have a feeling it's nothing good," Clara said.

All the humans, including Frank, Clara, and Martha, were being held in a section of tunnel by the pig men.

"I think we've been through all the tunnels by now," Clara joked.

"What are they keeping us here for?" Frank wondered.

"I don't know," Martha said. "I've just got a nasty feeling that we're being kept in the larder."

The pig men guarding them started to squeal nervously.

"What're they doing? What's wrong? What's wrong?" Frank said.

"Probably nothing-" Clara said, then broke off as one of the things she feared most glided into view. "Oh, my gosh. How are they here? How is it possible?"

She trembled in fear as the Dalek said, "Silence. Silence."

"What the hell is that?" Martha asked.

"It's called a Dalek," Clara whispered in fear.

"You will form a line. Move," the Dalek said. The pig men pushed them all into a line.

"Just do what it says, everyone, okay? Just obey," Martha said.

"The female is wise. Obey!" the Dalek said as a second Dalek arrived in the tunnel.

"Report," the second Dalek said.

"These are strong specimens," the first Dalek said. "They will help the Dalek cause."

"Dalek?" Martha said softly.

"The worst creature in the universe," Clara said.

"What is the status of the Final Experiment?" the first Dalek asked.

"The Dalekanium is in place," the second Dalek said. "The energy conductor is now complete."

"Dalekanium?" Clara whispered, wondering what that was. She knew it couldn't be good.

"Then I will extract prisoners for selection," the first Dalek said.

A pig man drug a man from the line forward. The Dalek extended its sucker forward into the man's face.

"Intelligence scan. Initiate. Reading brain waves. Low intelligence," the Dalek said.

"You calling me stupid?" the man asked.

"This one will become a pig slave," the first Dalek said and two pig men pulled the man away.

"No, let go of me! I'm not becoming one of them!" the man shouted.

The Dalek moved onto the next person in line.

"Intelligence scan. Initiate," the Dalek said.

The Dalek moved down the line and got to Frank.

"Superior intelligence," the Dalek said, then moved onto Martha. "Intelligence scan. Initiate. Superior intelligence. This one will become part of the Final Experiment."

The Dalek moved onto Clara, who was at the end of the line.

"Intelligence scan. Initiate. Superior intelligence. This one will also become part of the Final Experiment," the Dalek said.

"You can't just experiment on people! It's insane! It's inhuman!" Martha exclaimed.

"Martha, shh," Clara hissed, keeping her eyes on the Dalek, scared that it would kill them all.

"We are not human," the Dalek said. "Prisoners of high intelligence will be taken to the transgenic laboratory."

The Daleks and pig men started to march all the high intelligence people on down the tunnel. All of sudden, the Doctor fell into line between Martha and Clara.

"Doctor," Clara whispered, happy.

"Just keep walking," the Doctor said.

"I'm so glad to see you," Martha said.

"Yeah, well, you can kiss me later," the Doctor said. "You, too, Frank, if you want. And definitely you, Clara."

Clara gave a sort of smirk as they were marched on into a laboratory.

"Report," one Dalek said.

"Dalek Sec is in the final stage of evolution," a second Dalek said.

"Dalek Sec?" Clara whispered. "I thought they went into the void."

"Scan him," another Dalek said. "Prepare for birth."

"Evolution?" the Doctor asked.

"What's wrong with old Charlie boy over there?" Martha asked.

"Ask them," the Doctor said.

"What, me? Don't be daft," Martha said.

"I don't exactly want to get noticed," the Doctor said, partially hiding behind Clara's back. "Ask them what's going on."

Martha took a deep breath before saying, "Daleks, I demand to be told. What is this Final Experiment? Report!"

"You will bear witness," the Dalek said.

"To what?" Martha asked.

"This is the dawn of a new age," the Dalek said.

"What does that mean?" Martha asked.

"We are the only four Daleks so the species must evolve a life outside the shell. The Children of Skaro must walk again," the Dalek said.

Behind them, Dalek Sec's shell opened, revealing a human-Dalek hybrid. Clara gasped as she recognized the business suit as Mr. Diagoras'. The head of the hybrid looked similar to a Dalek, with a mouth,one eye, and tentacles. Clara shuddered.

"Oh, my gosh," she whispered.

"What is it?" Martha asked.

"I am a human Dalek. I am your future," Dalek Sec said slowly.

**To Be Continued...**


	33. Evolution of the Daleks

**Evolution of the Daleks**

"These...humans will become like me," Dalek Sec said. The Doctor slipped away from the group unnoticed by the Daleks. "Prepare them for hybridisation."

The group of people, including Clara, Martha, and Frank, all grouped closer together as the pig slaves closed in on them.

"Leave me alone! Don't you dare!" Martha shouted.

"Keep away from me!" Clara threatened, pointing at one of the pig slaves, determined.

Suddenly, a song started playing and everyone stopped, wondering where it was coming from.

"What is that sound?" Dalek Sec asked. The Doctor stepped out, a radio in his hands.

"That would be me," he said, setting the radio down. "Hello. Surprise. Boo. Et cetera."

"Doctor," Dalek Sec said.

"The enemy of the Daleks," Dalek number one said.

"Exterminate," a second one said.

"Wait," Dalek Sec said.

"Well, then. A new form of Dalek," the Doctor said, walking forward. "Fascinating and very clever."

"The Cult of Skaro escaped your slaughter," Dalek Sec said.

"How did you end up in 1930?" the Doctor asked.

"Emergency Temporal Shift," Dalek Sec said.

Clara scoffed. It seemed the Daleks always did that. It seemed like that was how they always survived.

"Oh, that must have roasted up your power cells, yeah?" the Doctor asked, also scoffing. "Time was, four Daleks could have conquered the world but instead your skulking away, hidden in the dark, experimenting. All of which results in you."

"I am Dalek in human form," Dalek Sec said.

"What does it feel like? You can talk to me, Dalek Sec. It is Dalek Sec, isn't it? That's your name? You've got a name and a mind of your own. Tell me what you're thinking right now," the Doctor said.

"I...feel...humanity," Dalek Sec said.

"Good. That's good," the Doctor said.

"I...feel...everything we wanted from mankind, which is ambition, hatred, aggression and war. Such...a...genius for war," Dalek Sec said.

"No, that's not what humanity means," the Doctor said.

"I think it does," Dalek Sec said. "At heart, this species is so very...Dalek."

"All right, so what have you achieved then?" the Doctor asked. "With this Final Experiment, eh? Nothing! 'Cause I can show you what you're missing with this thing. Simple little radio."

"What is the purpose of that device?" Dalek Sec said.

"Well, exactly," the Doctor said. "It plays music. What's the point of that? Oh, with music, you can dance to it, sing with it, fall in love to it."

He winked at Clara, who turned slightly pink.

"Unless you're a Dalek, of course," the Doctor continued. "Then it's just noise."

He aimed his sonic screwdriver at the radio and Clara barely had enough time to cover her ears, knowing what was coming. A high-pitched sound came from the radio and the Daleks started to act erratically.

"Run!" the Doctor shouted to everyone.

Martha led the group through the sewers, with the Doctor and Clara at the tail end. Martha stopped, unsure of which way to go and the Doctor took Clara's hand and rushed past the prisoners and Martha.

"Come on! Move, move, move, move, move!" he shouted. They ran down a tunnel to find a woman. "And you, Tallulah! Run!"

"What happened to Lazlo?" Tallulah asked, running with them, bewildered.

The Doctor led them to a ladder and made sure that Clara was up it before he was this time.

"C'mon! Everyone up!" he said.

After everyone had climbed up, the Doctor led them back to Hooverville, where they gathered around a fire, Martha, Clara, and Tallulah all sitting on crates.

"These Daleks, they sound like the stuff of nightmares. And they wanna breed?" Solomon asked.

"They are the stuff of nightmares," Clara said, shivering.

"They're splicing themselves into human bodies," the Doctor said, putting his hand on Clara's shoulder. "If I'm right, they've got a farm of breeding stock right here in Hooverville. We've got to get everyone out."

"Hooverville's the lowest place a man can fall," Solomon said. "There's nowhere else to go."

"I'm sorry, Solomon," the Doctor said. "You've got to scatter. Go anywhere. Down to the railroads, travel across the state, just get out of New York."

"There's got to be a way to reason with these things," Solomon said.

"There's not a chance," Martha said.

"They don't reason," Clara said. "They're made for war."

"You ain't seem 'em, boss," Frank said.

"Daleks are bad enough at anytime, but right now they're vulnerable and that makes them more dangerous than ever," the Doctor said.

"They're coming! They're coming!" the sentry at the edge of the camp shouted out.

"A sentry," Solomon said. "Must have seen something."

"They're here! I seen 'em! Monsters! They're monsters!" the sentry shouted.

"It's started," the Doctor said.

"We're under attack! Everyone to arms!" Solomon shouted.

Everything suddenly turned to chaos. Men were running around, passing out weapons and some just ran off.

"I'm ready, boss, but all o' you! Find a weapon! Use anything!" Frank shouted.

"Come back!" Solomon shouted to everyone that was running off. "We gotta stick together! It's not safe out there! Come back!"

"We need to get out of the park," Martha said.

"We can't!" the Doctor said. "They're on all sides. They're driving people back towards us."

"We're trapped," Tallulah said.

"Then we stand together," Solomon said. "Gather 'round. Everybody, come to me. You there, Jethro, Harry, Seamus, stay together."

Clara had been handed a shovel, which she held out in front of her, ready to strike at the pig slaves that were closing in on them.

"They can't take all of us," Solomon said, then started firing his gun.

"If we can just hold them off till daylight," Martha said.

"Oh, Martha, they're just the foot soldiers," the Doctor said, looking upwards.

"Oh, my gosh," Martha said.

Clara dropped her shovel in both fear and surprise. A Dalek was flying above, heading straight towards them.

"What in this world-" Solomon started.

Frank fired at the Dalek, but no bullets damaged it, just like Clara knew they wouldn't. The Doctor pushed Frank's rifle down.

"That's not gonna work," he said.

"There's more than one of them," Martha said.

Clara crouched down instinctively as the Daleks began to attack, firing on almost everything in view.

"The humans will surrender," the Dalek said.

"Leave them alone!" the Doctor shouted. "They've done nothing to you!"

Solomon stepped forward, but the Doctor grabbed his arm.

"No, Solomon," the Doctor said. "Stay back."

Solomon ignored him and stepped forward. "I'm told that I'm addressin' the Daleks, is that right?" he said. "From what I hear, you're outcasts, too."

"Solomon, don't," the Doctor said.

"Doctor, this is my township, you will respect my authority," Solomon said. "Just let me try. Daleks...ain't we all the same? Underneath, ain't we all kin? 'Cause, see, I've just discovered this past day God's universe is a thousand times the size I thought it was. And that scares me. Oh, yeah. Terrifies me. Right down to the bone. But it's got to give me hope...hope that maybe together we can make a better tomorrow. So I...I beg you now, if you have any compassion in your hearts then you'll meet with us and stop this fight. Well...what do you say?"

Clara held her breath, knowing what was coming. A Dalek didn't have any compassion, nor did they have hearts.

"Exterminate!" the Dalek shouted and fired at Solomon, killing him.

"Oh, no!" Frank said and the people of Hooverville started screaming. Frank rushed to Solomon's side. "No! Solomon!"

"They killed him. They just shot him on the spot!" Martha exclaimed.

"That's what they do," Clara said sadly.

"Daleks!" the Doctor yelled, obviously pissed off. He stepped forward, arms out to the side and confronted the Daleks. "All right, so it's my turn! Then kill me! Kill me if it'll stop you attacking these people!"

"Don't, Doctor-" Clara started, but the Doctor glared at her. It was a look that said, 'shut it.'

"I will be the destroyer of our greatest enemy," one of the Daleks said.

"Then do it!" the Doctor shouted, and started pounding on his chest. "Do it! Just do it! Do it!"

"Extermin-" the Dalek started, but surprisingly stopped. "I do not understand. It is the Doctor. The urge to kill is too strong. I...obey."

It was like an odd one-sided conversation that was happening.

"What's going on?" the Doctor asked and Clara was wondering the same thing.

"You will follow," the Dalek said.

"No! You can't go!" Martha said.

"I've got to go," the Doctor said. "The Daleks just changed their minds. Daleks _never_ change their minds."

"He's right," Clara said.

"But what about us?" Martha asked, gesturing to all the people.

The Doctor turned to the Daleks and said, "One condition! If I come with you, you spare the lives of everyone here! Do you hear me?"

"The humans will be spared. Doctor...follow," the Dalek said.

"Then we're coming with you," Martha said, indicating to herself and Clara. Clara nodded, agreeing.

"Martha, Clara, stay here," the Doctor said. "Do what you do best. People are hurt and lost. You can help them. Let me go."

The Doctor pulled Clara towards him and kissed her. He then began to follow the Daleks. Martha looked a bit alone and not sure what to do. The Doctor paused and looked back.

"Oh, and can I just say, thank you both very much," he said, shaking Martha's hand and winked at the both of them. He then walked off and Clara called after him.

"You'd better come back alive," she said. "Or I'll kill ya myself."

He smiled and was gone.

"What did he give you?" Clara asked.

"The psychic paper," Martha said.

"But what does he want us to do with it?" Clara wondered out loud.

"I dunno," Martha said.

The two girls set about helping all the injured people from the Daleks' attack. Martha and Clara sat in a tent, with Martha showing Clara what to do by applying a bandage to a man's arm. Tallulah then walked in with a pot of water, which Clara started to clean blood off of the man.

"Here you go," Tallulah said. "I got some more on the boil."

"Thanks," Martha said. "You'll be all right. It's just a cut. Try and keep it clean."

"Thanks," the man said and he left the tent.

"So what about us?" Tallulah asked, leaning against the wall. "What do we do now?"

"The Doctor gave us this," Martha said, pulling out the psychic paper. "He must have had a reason."

"What's that for?" Tallulah asked.

"Gets you into places, buildings and things. But where? He must want us to go somewhere but what are we supposed to do?" Martha said.

"I think we should look through Solomon's things, see if we can find anything," Clara suggested, so the three girls went into his tent and searched through papers. Clara looked through papers, but didn't see anything useful.

Martha paced back and forth, tapping the psychic paper in her hand.

"Wait a minute," she said. "Down in the sewers, the Daleks mentioned this...energy conductor."

"What does that mean?" Tallulah asked.

"I don't know," Martha said. "Maybe like a...lightening conductor...or..."

"Dalekanium!" Clara said, remembering that word, but wasn't sure what it was till now.

"Dalekanium!" Martha repeated, nodding.

"Oh," Tallulah said.

"They said the Dalekanium was in place," Martha said.

"In place where?" Tallulah asked.

"I'm not sure," Clara said, frowning.

"Frank might know," Martha said.

The girls left the tent to find Frank grieving for Solomon.

"Frank?" Martha asked.

"Hm?" Frank said.

"That Mr. Diagoras, he was like some sort of fixer, yeah? Get you jobs all over town?" Martha asked.

"Yeah. He could find a profit anywhere," Frank said.

"But where, though? What sort of things?" Martha asked.

"You name it," Frank said. "We're all so desperate for work, you just hoped Diagoras would pick you for something good. Building work. That pays the best."

"But what sort of building work?" Martha asked.

"Mainly building that," Frank said, pointing to the Empire State Building.

"That's it!" Clara exclaimed, as the four of them took off.

"I always wanted to go to the Empire State," Martha said, as they were in the lift. "Never imagined it quite like this, though."

"No one ever does," Clara said, and Martha nodded.

"Where are we headed anyway?" Frank asked.

"To the top where they're still building," Martha said.

"How come those guys just let us through?" Tallulah asked. Clara gave a smirk at her cluelessness. "How's that thing work?"

"Psychic paper," Martha said. "Shows them whatever I want them to think. According to this, we're two engineers, an architect, and an interior designer."

"Don't know how that one worked," Clara said.

Frank took the psychic paper and flipped it over in his hands. The lift dinged open as the lift reached the top floor.

"Look at this place. Top of the world," Tallulah said.

"Okay, now this looks good," Martha said, spotting architectural plans. Clara and Frank both joined her.

"Hey, look at the date," he said. "These designs were issued today. They must've changed something last minute."

"You mean the Daleks changed something?" Martha asked.

"Yeah, could be," Frank said.

"Must've been them," Clara said, looking at the plans carefully.

"The ones underneath, they're from before," Martha said, pulling out a second set of plans. "That means that whatever they changed must be on this top sheet but not this one. We need to check one against the other."

"The height of this place! This is amazing!" Tallulah said.

"Careful, we're a hundred floors up," Martha said, as Clara shook her head, smiling. "Don't go wandering off."

"I just wanna see," Tallulah said, walking into the open area that overlooked the city. "New York City. If aliens had to come to Earth, no wonder they came here."

"I don't think they had much of a choice," Clara said, helping Martha spread the plans on the floor so they could look at them.

"I'll go and keep an eye out, make sure we're safe up here," Frank said. "Don't want nobody buttin' in."

"There's a hell of a storm movin' in," Tallulah noted.

"I wish the Doctor was here," Martha said. "He'd know what we're looking for."

"Until then, we should keep looking," Clara said, determined.

"SO tell me, where did you and him first hook up?" Tallulah asked Clara.

"Oh, um, actually, he blew up my cousin's job," Clara said. "And then we met Martha in a hospital."

"'Course, him bein' a doctor," Tallulah said.

"Actually, I'm a doctor," Martha said. "Well, kind of."

"You're a physician?" Tallulah asked. Martha nodded. "Really?"

"I was training," Martha said. "Still am, if I ever get back home."

"You could be Doctors together," Tallulah suggested. "Even you," she added to Clara. "What a partnership. Oh, it's such a shame. If only he wasn't so...different. You know what I mean?"

"Oh, you have no idea how different he really is," Martha said.

"No idea," Clara said.

"Yeah, he's a man, sweetheart," Tallulah said to Clara. "That's different enough."

"He had this...companion a while back," Martha said slowly, looking at Clara. "This friend. And ever since then he's been with Clara."

"Aw, listen, sweetheart," Tallulah said to Clara. "You wanna get all sad? You wanna have a contest with me and Lazlo?"

"No thanks," Clara said.

"But listen, if the Doctor's with Lazlo now, there's every chance that he could get him out," Martha said.

"That's true," Clara said. "He's safe with the Doctor."

"And then what?" Tallulah asked. "Don't talk crazy. There's no future for me and him. Those Dalek things took that away. The one good thing I had in my life and they destroyed it."

"Welcome to my world," Clara said. "That's what they do."

Clara and Martha went back to looking over the plans, while Tallulah went back out to the open area.

A few minutes into looking at the blueprints, Martha exclaimed, "Gotcha! Look!"

Tallulah rejoined them and Clara spotted what Martha had seen.

"There, on the mast. Those little things? They're new. They've added something, see?" Martha said.

"Added what?" Tallulah asked.

The three of them looked at each other and exclaimed, "Dalekanium!"

"But how do we get it down?" Clara asked. "We've got to think of something. The Doctor's counting on us."

A few moments later, the lift doors opened and Clara whirled around to see the Doctor and Lazlo.

"Doctor!" Martha and Clara both exclaimed.

"First floor, perfumery," the Doctor said.

"I never thought I'd see you again," Tallulah said, rushing over to Lazlo.

"No stopping me," Lazlo said.

Martha and Clara led the Doctor over to the blueprints to show him what they'd found.

"We worked it out," Martha said. "We know what they've done. There's Dalekanium on the mast. And it's good to see you too, by the way."

"Oh, come here, both of you," the Doctor said, and grabbed Martha and Clara in a big hug. He suddenly dropped them as the bell of the lift dinged and the doors shut. He ran over to try and stop them.

"No, no, no! See, never waste time with a hug," the Doctor said. He tried to use his sonic screwdriver on the panel, but it didn't work. "It's a deadlock seal. I can't stop it."

"Where's it going?" Martha asked.

"Right down to the Daleks," the Doctor said. "And they're not going to leave us alone up here. What's the time?"

"11:15," Frank said.

"Six minutes to go. I've got to remove the Dalekanium before the gamma radiation hits," the Doctor said.

"Gammon radiation? What the heck is that?" Tallulah asked.

"You probably don't want to know," Clara said, following the Doctor and Martha outside.

"Oh, that's high," the Doctor said. "That's very—Blimey, that's high."

"And we've got to go even higher," Martha said. "That's the mast up there, look. There's three pieces of Dalekanium at the base. We've got to get 'em off."

"That's not 'we'," the Doctor said. "That's just me."

"I won't just stand here and watch you," Martha said.

"Me, neither," Clara said with determination.

"No, you're gonna have your hands full, anyway," the Doctor said. "I'm sorry, Clara, Martha, but you've got to fight."

After the Doctor had climbed out the open area, Clara, Martha, Lazlo, Frank, and Tallulah all picked up makeshift weapons and faced the lift. Clara gripped her pipe she was holding with anticipation and nervousness.

"The lift's coming up," Martha said.

"I shoulda brought that gun," Frank said.

"Tallulah, stay back," Lazlo said. "You too, Martha and Clara. IF they send pig slaves, they're trained to kill."

"No stopping me," Clara said.

"The Doctor needs us to fight," Martha said. "We're not going anywhere!"

"That's right!" Clara said. "I'm not backing down."

"They're savages," Lazlo said. "I should know. They're trained to slit your throat with their bare teeth."

He then collapsed on the floor.

"Lazlo? What is it?" Tallulah asked.

"No, it's nothing. I'm fine. Just leave me," Lazlo said.

"Oh, honey, you're burnin' up. What's wrong with you? Tell me," Tallulah said.

"One man down and we ain't even started yet," Frank said to Martha and Clara.

"It's not looking good, guys," Martha said to Frank and Clara.

"Nope," Frank said.

"But we can't let the Doctor down," Clara said.

"Wait a minute. Lightening," Martha said.

"What about it?" Clara asked, as Martha raced to the other end of the room.

"Use it against whatever's in the lift," Martha said.

"Brilliant!" Clara said, as she and Frank helped Martha move long metal rods from the outside area to the lift, making sure they didn't touch the floor.

"What the hell are you three clowns doin'?" Tallulah asked them.

"Even in the Doctor stops the Dalekanium, this place is still gonna get hit. Great big bolt of lightening, electricity all down this building. Connect this to the lift and they get zapped."

"Oh, my gosh, that could work," Tallulah said.

"Then give us a hand," Frank said, as they made makeshift tables of sorts to hold up the metal poles.

"Is this gonna work?" Tallulah asked, as they finished.

"It's got to," Martha said.

"Else we're screwed," Clara said.

"I've got it all piped up to the scaffolding outside," Frank said.

"Come here, Frank, and sit in the middle and don't touch anything metal," Martha said.

"Yes, ma'am," Frank said, moving to where Clara was already standing. They all huddled together, waiting for the lightening to strike the building. The lift finally arrived and the doors slid open.

Clara could feel the tingling in the room as the hair on the back of her neck stood on end when the lightening stuck, passing along the pipes to the lift. It struck the pig slaves, electrocuting them. Frank, Clara, Martha, Lazlo, and Tallulah all had to close their eyes when the lightening struck and opened them when it passed. The pig slaves were all on the ground, dead.

"You did it, Martha," Tallulah said.

"They used to be like Lazlo," Martha said. "They were people and I killed 'em."

"You didn't do it alone," Clara said, taking some of the blame.

"No, the Daleks killed them," Lazlo said to them. "Long ago."

"What about the Doctor?" Martha asked.

Clara was gone before Martha had even finished her sentence, running outside with Martha behind her. She climbed up the scaffolding up to the mast where the Doctor had gone. He was lying on the ground, unconscious when Clara reached him.

"Doctor!" she called out. Martha and Frank also dropped down beside the Doctor.

"Doctor! Doctor! Look what we found halfway down," Martha said, pulling out his sonic screwdriver. Clara hadn't even noticed it because she was so focused on getting to the Doctor. "You're getting careless."

"Oh, my head," the Doctor groaned.

"You should be more careful," Clara said, relieved that he was okay.

"Hiya," Martha said.

"Hi," he said. "You both survived then."

"Of course," Clara said, smirking.

"So did you," Martha said. "Just about. I can't help noticing...there's Dalekanium still attached."

"That's probably not good," Clara said, as she helped the Doctor get up.

"The Daleks will have gone straight to a war footing," the Doctor said. "They'll be using the sewers, spreading their soldiers out underneath Manhattan."

"How do we stop them?" Lazlo asked.

"There's only one chance," the Doctor said. "I got in the way. That gamma strike went zapping through me first."

"But what does that mean?" Martha asked.

"They've got some of him in them," Clara said, putting it together.

"We need to draw fire," the Doctor said. "Before they can attack New York, I need to face them. Think, think, think, think. We need some sort of space, somewhere safe, somewhere out of the way. Tallulah!"

"That's me. Three L's and an H," she said.

"The theatre! It's right above them, and, what, it's gone midnight? Can you get us inside?" the Doctor asked.

"Don't see why not," Tallulah said.

"Is there another lift?" the Doctor asked.

"We came up in the service elevator," Martha said.

"That'll do. Allons-y!" the Doctor said, taking Clara's hand and pulled her along with him.

The theatre was dark and creepy-looking when they arrived.

"This should do it," the Doctor said, and used his sonic screwdriver. "Here we go."

"There ain't nothin' more creepy than a theatre in the dark. Listen, Doctor, I know you got a thing for showtunes, but there's a time and a place, huh?" Tallulah said.

Lazlo then fell into one of the chairs they were standing by.

"Lazlo, what's wrong?" Tallulah asked, sitting next to him.

"Nothing. It's just so hot," Lazlo said.

"But...it's freezing in here," Tallulah said. "Doctor, what's happening to him?"

"Not now, Tallulah," the Doctor said, listening to the sound of his sonic screwdriver. "Sorry."

"What are you doing?" Martha asked him.

"If the Daleks are going to war, they'll wanna find their number one enemy. I'm just telling them where I am," the Doctor said.

"Oh, that's brilliant," Clara said sarcastically.

"I want you to go," the Doctor said to Clara and Martha.

"No," Clara said point blank.

"I'm telling you to go," he said. "Frank can take you both back to Hooverville."

"And we're telling you we're not going," Martha said.

"Absolutely not," Clara said.

"Martha, Clara, that's an order," the Doctor said.

"You can't give me orders, Doctor," Clara said.

"Yeah, who are you, then? Some sort of Dalek?" Martha asked.

The doors to the theatre burst open then and the human Daleks came in, surrounding them.

"Oh, my gosh! Well, I guess that's them then, huh?" Tallulah asked.

"Humans...with Dalek DNA," Martha said.

Clara would have said, "And a bit of the Doctor's," but that would have been a big giveaway to the Daleks. Frank moved forward to attack the human Daleks, but the Doctor pulled him back.

"It's all right," he said. "Just stay calm. Don't antagonize them."

"But what about the Dalek masters?" Lazlo asked. "Where are they?"

The Doctor pulled Clara down with him as they all ducked down behind the seats as there was an explosion on stage. Clara peeked over the seats and saw the two Daleks and Dalek Sec chained and on all fours in between them. The Doctor stood up but everyone else stayed down.

"The Doctor will stand before the Daleks," the first Dalek said.

The Doctor stepped over the chairs until he reached the front row.

"You will die, Doctor," the first Dalek said. "It is the beginning of a new age."

"Planet Earth will become New Skaro," the other Dalek said.

"Oh, and what a world," the Doctor said. "With anything just the slightest bit different ground into the dirt. That's Dalek Sec. Don't you remember? The cleverest Dalek ever and look what you've done to him. Is that your new empire? Hmm? Is that the foundation for a whole new civilization?"

"My Daleks...just understand this," Dalek Sec said. "If you choose death and destruction, then death and destruction will choose you."

"Incorrect," the first Dalek said. "We will always survive."

"Now we will destroy our greatest enemy, the Doctor," the other Dalek said.

"But he can help you," Dalek Sec said.

"The Doctor must die," the first Dalek said. 

"No, I beg you, don't," Dalek Sec said, crawling in front of the first Dalek.

"Exterminate!" the second Dalek said and fired just as Dalek Sec stood. The bolt hit Dalek Sec, killing his instantly.

"You own leader," the Doctor said, disgusted. "The only creature who might have led you out of the darkness and you destroyed him. Do you see what they did?" he asked, turning to the human Daleks. "You see what a Dalek really is? If I'm gonna die, let's give the new boys a shot. What do you think, eh? The Dalek-Humans. Their first blood. Go on, baptize them."

"Dalek-Humans, take aim," the first Dalek said, as the Doctor stood with his arms out to the side.

Clara took a deep breath, unsure of the Doctor's plan as the Dalek-Humans cocked their weapons and aimed them at the Doctor.

"What are you waiting for? Give the command!" the Doctor shouted.

"Exterminate!" the second Dalek said.

Clara was ready to charge forward and the Doctor closed his eyes, but nothing happened.

"Exterminate!" the Dalek said again, but still, nothing happened.

"Obey. Dalek-Humans will obey," the first Dalek said.

"Not firing," Martha said. "What have you done?"

"You will obey," the second Dalek said. "Exterminate."

Clara breathed a sigh of relief. It had worked after all.

"Why?" one of the Dalek-Human asked.

"You will stop this," the first Dalek said.

"But...why?" the Dalek-Human asked.

"You must not question," the first Dalek said.

"But you are not our master," the Dalek-Human said. "And we...we are not Daleks."

"No, you're not, and you never will be," the Doctor said, then addressed the Daleks. "Sorry, I got in the way of the lightening strike. Time Lord DNA got all mixed up. Just a little bit of freedom."

"If they will not obey, then they must die," the second Dalek said and shot down the Dalek-Human that had spoken.

"Get down!" the Doctor shouted and everyone ducked behind the seats as the Dalek-Humans and the Daleks fired at each other.

"Exterminate! Exterminate!" the Daleks both shouted.

The second Dalek exploded as it was hit by a bolt.

"Extermin-" the first Dalek started, before it, too, was destroyed.

Clara slowly stood on slightly shaky legs as the Doctor went over to the hybrids.

"It's all right. It's all right. It's all right," he said. "You did it. You're free."

Suddenly, the hybrids gripped their heads, screaming in pain.

"No!" the Doctor shouted, as they crumpled to the ground, dead. "They can't! They can't! They can't!"

Clara jogged down the aisle between the chairs to join the Doctor, with Martha right behind her.

"What happened? What was that?" Martha asked.

"They killed 'em," the Doctor said. "Rather than let them live. An entire species. Genocide."

"Only two of the Daleks have been destroyed," Lazlo said. "One of the Dalek masters must still be alive."

"Oh, yes. In the whole universe, just one," the Doctor said, standing.

"Let's go get it, then," Clara said, taking the Doctor's hand.

Back where the Daleks had been, the Dalek that was left was still hooked up to the computers.

"Now what?" the Doctor asked, keeping Clara behind him. He had tried to talk her out of coming with him, but she wouldn't take no as an answer.

"You will be exterminated," the Dalek said.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah," the Doctor said. "Just think about it, Dalek—What was your name?"

"Dalek Caan," it said.

"Dalek Caan," the Doctor said, walking forward. "Your entire species has been wiped out. And now the Cult of Skaro has been eradicated. Leaving only you. Right now, you're facing the only man in the universe who might show you some compassion. 'Cause I've just seen one genocide. I won't cause another. Caan...let me help you. What do you say?"

"Emergency Temporal Shift!" Dalek Caan said, and disappeared. The Doctor had started charging forward, but was too late. The Doctor just about looked more angry than Clara had ever seen him before.

"Doctor! Clara! He's sick," Martha called. Clara rushed over to help them lower Lazlo to the floor. His breathing was really heavy and he was wheezing. "It's okay. You're all right."

The Doctor slowly approached and knelt beside Lazlo.

"It's his heart," Martha said. "It's racing like mad. I've never seen anything like it."

"What is it, Doctor? What's the matter with him?" Tallulah asked. "He says he can't breathe? What is it?"

"It's time, sweetheart," Lazlo said.

"What do you mean 'time'?" Tallulah asked. "What are you talking about?"

"None of the slaves...survive for long," Lazlo said. "Most of them only live a few weeks. I was lucky. I held on 'cause I had you. But now...I'm dyin', Tallulah."

"No, you're not," Tallulah said. "Not now, after all this. Doctor, can't you do somethin'?"

Clara actually found her eyes filling with some tears at the scene before her. It was sweet and sad at the same time.

"Oh, Tallulah with three L's and an H...just you watch me," the Doctor said. He stood and tossed Clara his coat. "What do I need? Oh, I don't know. How about a great big genetic laboratory? Oh, look, I've got one. Lazlo, just you hold on."

He ran about the laboratory, mixing up what seemed like random stuff to make a solution.

"There's been too many deaths today," he said while working. "Way too many people have died. Brand new creatures and wise old men and age-old enemies. And I'm tellin' you, I'm tellin' you right now, I am not having one more death! Got that? Not one! Tallulah, Clara, out of the way."

He took out his stethoscope as Clara backed away from Lazlo.

"The Doctor is in," he said and Clara smiled.

It didn't take long for the Doctor to work, but by the time he was done, Lazlo was regaining strength and his temperature had gone down to normal.

"But how am I going to fit in?" Lazlo asked.

"I have an idea," Clara said, with a gleam in her eyes.

They made their way back to Hooverville, where Frank was now returning from talking to the people there. Clara sat on the park bench they were by, hoping her idea worked.

"Well, I talked to 'em and I told 'em what Solomon would've said and I reckon I shamed one or two of 'em," Frank said, upon his return.

"What did they say?" the Doctor asked.

"They said yes," Frank said.

Clara threw a fist in the air, before turning red at the looks she got and silently put it back in her lap. The Doctor smiled at her and took her hand in his.

"They'll give you a home, Lazlo," Frank said. "I mean, uh, don't imagine people ain't gonna stare. I can't promise you'll be at peace but, in the end, that is what Hooverville is for, people who ain't got nowhere else."

"Just walk about like you own the place," Clara said, quoting the Doctor, who grinned.

"Thank you," Lazlo said. "I—I can't thank you enough."

"Well, back to the TARDIS then," the Doctor said, helping Clara up from the bench.

The Doctor, Clara, and Martha made their way back to Liberty Island, where they paused to look out over the Manhattan skyline.

"Do you reckon it's gonna work, those two?" Martha asked.

"I don't know," the Doctor said. "Anywhere else in the universe, I might worry about them, but New York, that's what this city's good at. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, and maybe the odd pig-slave-Dalek-mutant-hybrid too."

Clara laughed along with Martha.

"The pig and the showgirl," Martha said.

"The pig and the showgirl," the Doctor repeated, smiling.

"Just proves it, I suppose. There's someone for everyone," Martha said.

"Yeah," the Doctor said, tugging on one of Clara's curls.

"Oi!" she said, pushing her hair back from his grip.

The Doctor smiled and then walked to the TARDIS, his arm around Clara's waist.

"Meant to say...sorry," Martha said.

"What for?" the Doctor asked.

"Just 'cause that Dalek got away. I know what that means to the both of you. Think you'll ever see it again?" Martha asked.

"Oh, yes," the Doctor said, unlocking the TARDIS.

"Always seems like we do," Clara said.

"One day," the Doctor said, closing the TARDIS door behind them.


	34. The Lazarus Experiment

**The Lazarus Experiment**

Clara leaned with her back against the console of the TARDIS, moving only when the Doctor needed at the switches behind her.

"There we go...perfect landing, which isn't easy in such a tight spot," the Doctor said.

"You should be used to tight spots by now," Martha teased. "Where are we?"

"The end of the line," the Doctor said. Clara knew from what he just said that they were taking Martha home then. "No place like it."

Martha had rushed to the doors and gave him a questioning look of whether or not she should open the doors. Clara took the Doctor's hand as he nodded and Martha went outside. The Doctor and Clara followed her to find that they had squeezed into Martha's flat.

"Home. You took me home?" Martha asked, sounding disappointed.

"In fact, the morning after we left, so you've only been gone about 12 hours. No time at all, really," the Doctor said, looking around at her photos.

"But all the stuff we've done—Shakespeare, New New York, old New York?" Martha asked.

"Yep, all in one night—relatively speaking," the Doctor said. "Everything should be just as it was—books, CD's." He picked up a pair of Martha's underwear that had been on a drying rack. "Laundry."

"Feel free to smack him," Clara said, hitting him on the arm, as Martha snatched the lingerie from him.

"So, back where you were, as promised," the Doctor said, rubbing his arm, pretending it hurt worse than it actually did.

"This is it?" Martha asked.

"Sorry, I didn't know," Clara said, feeling like she need to apologize.

"Yeah, we should probably...um..." the Doctor said, inhaling deeply.

Martha's phone then rand and it went to the answering machine.

"Hi! I'm out! Leave a message!" Martha's voice came from the machine.

"Sorry," the present Martha said.

The machine beeped before a woman's voice came on.

"Martha, are you there? Pick it up, will you?" the woman said.

"It's Mum," Martha said. "It'll wait."

"All right, then, pretend that you're out if you like," her mum said. "I was only calling to say that your sister's on TV. On the news of all things. Just thought you might be interested."

Martha picked up the remote control and turned on the tellie.

"The details are top secret-" a man was saying.

"How could Tish end up on the news?" Martha wondered.

On the screen, Clara saw a very old man, possibly in his 70's, holding a press conference. A woman was standing beside him that Clara took to be Martha's sister, Tish.

"Tonight, I will demonstrate a device..." the man was saying.

"She's got a new job," Martha said. "PR for some research lab."

"...with the push of a single button, I will change what it means to be human," the man continued on.

Martha then switched off the tellie and said, "Sorry. You were saying we should-?" 

"Yes, yes, we should. One trip is what we said," the Doctor said.

"Yeah. I suppose thing just kind of...escalated," Martha said.

"Mmmm. Seems to happen to me a lot," the Doctor said.

"And by a lot, he really means a lot," Clara said.

"Thank you both. For everything," Martha said.

"It was my pleasure," the Doctor said.

"It was nice to meet you, Martha Jones," Clara said, before hugging the woman and then followed the Doctor into the TARDIS. The Doctor dematerialized the TARDIS before realizing something important.

He rematerialized the TARDIS, opened the door and popped his head out with Clara right behind him.

"No, I'm sorry. Did he say he was going to change what it means to be human?" the Doctor asked.

"That's what I heard," Clara said.

Using Martha's computer, they found the building where the party was taking place and the Doctor groaned when he saw that it was black tie.

Clara had fun in the wardrobe room, looking through party dresses, while the Doctor just put on his black suit and tie. Clara came out of the TARDIS in a blue floor-length strapless dress that was covered in sequins and shiny silver high heels. She had attempted to tame her hair by putting it up in a sort of updo. Martha and the Doctor were waiting for her back in Martha's flat.

"Wow," the Doctor said, eyes wide. "You look...wow."

Clara laughed and said, "You really need to pick your jaw up off the floor, Doctor. We're late."

Martha joined her in laughing and the two girls led the way out into the street, both of them giggling between themselves.

"Oh, black tie," the Doctor groaned again. "When ever I wear this, something bad always happens."

"It's not the outfit, that's just you," Martha said. "Anyway, I think it suits you. In a James Bond kind of way."

Clara linked arms with the Doctor and told Martha, "I told him the last time he wore it that he should wear it all the time."

"James Bond?" the Doctor asked approvingly. "Really?"

The girls both chuckled again as they approached the very large and impressive entrance to Lazarus Laboratories. The Doctor used his psychic paper, getting them into the party, since they didn't have an invitation.

"Ooh, it's a very nice room," Clara said, looking around.

The Doctor pulled her back slightly (she stumbled, not used to the heels) to take some hors d'oeuvres from a passing waiter.

"Oh, look, they've got nibbles! I love nibbles!" the Doctor said.

"That was us at our last party," Clara recalled the party they went to in the parallel universe.

Martha's sister, Tish, then joined them.

"Hello," she said.

"Tish," Martha said, and the two sisters embraced.

"You look great. So, what do you think? Impressive, isn't it?" Tish asked.

"Very," Martha said, nodding.

"Very lovely," Clara said, smiling.

"And two nights out in a row for your—that's dangerously close to a social life," Tish teased Martha.

"If I keep this up, I'll end up in all the gossip columns," Martha said.

"You might, actually. Keep an eye out for photographers," Tish said. "And Mum—she's coming, too, even dragged Leo along with her."

"Leo in black tie?" Martha asked incredulously. "That I must see."

Tish then glanced at the Doctor and Clara, both of whom seemed a little lost.

"This is, uh, the Doctor and Clara," Martha introduced.

"Hello," the Doctor said, shaking Tish's hand.

"Very nice to meet you," Clara said, also shaking her hand.

"Are they with you?" Tish asked.

"Yeah," Martha said.

"But they're not on the list. How did they get in?" Tish asked, even though the Doctor and Clara were standing right there.

"He's my plus one and Clara's kind of his date," Martha explained quickly. She couldn't exactly tell her sister that they had used psychic paper to get in.

"So, this Lazarus bloke, he's your boss?" the Doctor changed the subject.

"Professor Lazarus, yes," Tish said. "I'm part of his executive staff."

"She's in the PR department," Martha said.

"I'm head of the PR department, actually," Tish said.

"You're joking," Martha said.

"I put this whole thing together," Tish said.

"So, do you know what the professor's going to be doing tonight? That looks like it might be a sonic microfield manipulator," the Doctor said.

"He's a science geek," Tish said, looking at Martha. "I should've know. Gotta get back to work now. I'll catch up with you later."

"Science geek? What does that mean?" the Doctor asked.

Clara was struggling to hold back her laughter. Science geek was one thing that perfectly described the Doctor.

"That you're obsessively enthusiastic about it," Martha said, grinning when she noticed Clara.

"Oh, nice," the Doctor said.

Clara couldn't help it and broke down in giggles. The Doctor just gave her a strange look as if he didn't understand.

"Martha!" a voice called out.

"Mum!" Martha exclaimed, after turning round. She gave her mother a big hug.

"Oh. All right, what's the occasion?" her mum asked.

"What do you mean? I'm just pleased to see you, that's all," Martha said.

"You saw me last night," her mum said.

"I know," Martha said. "I just...miss you. You're looking good, Leo."

"Yeah," her brother said. "If anyone asks me to fetch 'em a drink, I'll swing for him."

Martha's mum then noticed the Doctor with Clara on his arm standing just behind Martha.

"You disappeared last night," her mum said.

"I...just went home," Martha said.

"On your own?" her mum asked, looking suspiciously at the Doctor, despite the fact that Clara was obviously with him.

"These are friends of mine, the Doctor and Clara," Martha said.

"Doctor what?" her mum asked.

"No, it's just the Doctor. We've been doing some work together," Martha said.

Leo, Martha's brother, shook the Doctor's hand, then Clara's.

"Yeah, all right," the Doctor said, then shook Martha's mum's hand, followed by Clara. "Lovely to meet you, Mrs. Jones. Heard a lot about you."

"Have you?" her mum asked suspiciously. "What have you heard, then?"

"A lot of lovely things," Clara said, putting on a charming smile, and discreetly elbowed the Doctor to get him to shut up, but it didn't work.

"Oh, you know, that you're Martha's mother and...um...No, actually, that's...that's about it. We haven't had much time to chat, you know, been busy," he said.

"Busy? Doing what, exactly?" her mum asked.

"Oh...you know...stuff," the Doctor said.

Clara was about to scold the Doctor, but didn't get a chance as someone started tapping on a glass to get everyone's attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Lazarus said. "I am Professor Richard Lazarus and tonight, I'm going to perform a miracle. It is, I believe, the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom, the biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon. Tonight, you will watch and wonder. Tomorrow, you'll awake to a world which will be changed forever."

Lazarus entered the small chamber thing in the middle of the room and two female technicians shut the door and started up the machinery. There was a high-pitched whirling noise and a bright blue light as the four pillars round the chambers started to spin individually. They then began to rotate around the chamber, creating an energy field, going faster and faster. A warning klaxon began to go off.

"Something's wrong," the Doctor said "It's overloading."

The women technicians tried to stop it, but some of the panels exploded. The Doctor rushed forward and used his sonic screwdriver on the controls.

"Somebody stop him!" an elderly lady cried. "Get him away from those controls! 

"If this thing goes off, it'll take the whole building with it. Is that what you want?" the Doctor asked, pulling one of the main wires from the chamber and it slowly stopped spinning. Martha and Clara rushed to the door and the Doctor joined them.

"Get it open!" the Doctor said.

They managed to get the door open and watched as smoke poured out. Lazarus emerged from the chamber, looking 40 years younger.

"That's not possible," Clara breathed as the photographers snapped pictures of him. Lazarus stepped fully out of the machine.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Richard Lazarus. I am 76 years old and I am reborn!" he said, holding his arms up in triumph as everyone applauded.

The Doctor studied the machine while Martha and Clara watched.

"It can't be the same guy," Martha said. "It's impossible. It must be a trick."

"Oh, it's not a trick. I wish it were," the Doctor said.

"What just happened, then?" Martha asked.

"He just changed what it means to be human," the Doctor said.

"It's impossible," Clara said, still not believing it.

The Doctor led the way, then, over to behind Lazarus.

"I'm famished," Lazarus was saying.

"Energy deficit," the Doctor said. "Always happens with this kind of process."

"You speak as if you see this every day, Mr-?" Lazarus asked.

"Doctor. And, well, no, not every day, but I have some experience in this kind of transformation," the Doctor said.

"That's not possible," Lazarus said.

"Not the only thing," Clara said.

"Using hypersonic sound waves to create a state of resonance," the Doctor said. "That's—that's inspired."

"You understand the theory, then," Lazarus stated.

"Enough to know that you couldn't possibly have allowed for all the variables," the Doctor said.

"No experiment is entirely without risk," Lazarus said.

"That thing nearly exploded," the Doctor said. "You might as well have stepped into a blender."

"You're not qualified to comment," the elderly lady said.

"If I hadn't stopped it, it would have exploded," the Doctor said.

"Then I thank you, Doctor," Lazarus said. "But that's a simple engineering issue. What happened inside the capsule was exactly what was supposed to happen. No more, no less."

"You've no way of knowing that until you've run proper tests," Martha said.

"Look at me!" Lazarus laughed. "You can see what happened. I'm all the proof you need."

"This device will be properly certified before we start to operate commercially," the elderly lady said.

"Commercially?! You are joking. That'll cause chaos," Martha said.

"Not chaos," Lazarus said. "Change. A chance for humanity to evolve, to improve."

"This isn't about improving," the Doctor said. "It's about you and your customers living a little longer."

"Not a little longer, Doctor. A lot longer. Perhaps indefinitely," Lazarus said.

"Richard, we have things to discuss. Upstairs," the elderly lady said.

"Goodbye, Doctor," Lazarus said. "In a few years, you'll look back and laugh at how wrong you were."

Lazarus reached out and kissed first Martha's hand and then Clara's. As soon as he was gone, Clara had a disgusted look on his face and wiped the back of her hand on her dress.

"Ooh, he's out of his depth," the Doctor said, with a slightly jealous look on his face. "No idea of the damage he might have done."

"So what do we do now?" Martha asked.

"Investigate?" Clara said.

"Now...well, this building must be full of laboratories. I say we do our own tests."

"Lucky I've just collected a DNA sample then, isn't it?" Martha asked, holding up her hand.

"Oh, Martha Jones, you're a star," the Doctor said.

"Sorry, mine's gone," Clara said. "He grossed me out for some reason."

"That's alright," the Doctor said, taking her hand as they headed off. They found a lab and the Doctor was looking at the results of the DNA test he had ran on the computer.

"Amazing," the Doctor said.

"What?" Martha asked.

"Lazarus' DNA," the Doctor said.

"I can't see anything different," Martha said.

"Look at it!" the Doctor said.

Clara and Martha looked at the screen to see the image flicker.

"Oh, my gosh! Did that just change? But it can't have!" Martha said.

"It's impossible!" Clara said.

"But it did," the Doctor said.

"It's impossible," Martha repeated Clara's words.

"And that's two impossible things we've seen tonight," the Doctor said. "Don't you love it when that happens?"

"That means Lazarus has changed his own molecular patterns," Martha said.

"And that's dangerous, yeah?" Clara said.

"Very," Martha said.

"Hypersonic sound waves to destabilize the cell structure then a mutagenic program to manipulate the coding in the protein strands. Basically, he hacked into his own genes and instructed them to rejuvenate," the Doctor said.

"But they're still mutating now," Martha said.

"Yeah, that is dangerous," Clara said.

"'Cause he missed something," the Doctor said. "Something in his DNA has been activated and won't let him stabilize. Something that's trying to change him."

"Change him into what?" Martha asked.

"I dunno, but I think we need to find out," the Doctor said.

"That woman said they were going upstairs," Martha said.

"Let's go," the Doctor said and they left the lab.

"But which room upstairs?" Clara wondered.

"Probably his office," Martha said, as they stepped into the lift. They got out of the lift and into Lazarus' office. The Doctor turned on the lights.

"This is his office, all right," Martha said.

"So, where is he?" the Doctor asked.

"Not here, obviously," Clara said.

"Dunno," Martha said. "Let's try back at the re...ception."

Clara whirled around to see what Martha was looking at. She felt sorta sick at the sight before them. There were a pair of skeletal legs wearing high heels poking out from behind the desk. The three of them rushed over to see the remains of someone.

"Is that Lady Thaw?" Martha asked.

"Used to be," the Doctor said. "Now it's just a shell. Had all the life energy drained out. Like squeezing the juice out of an orange."

"Oh, yuck," Clara said, wrinkling her nose.

"Lazarus," Martha said.

"Could be," the Doctor said.

"Probably is," Clara said.

"So he's changed already," Martha said.

"Not necessarily," the Doctor said. "You saw the DNA. It was fluctuating. The process must demand energy. This might now have been enough."

"So he might do this again?" Martha asked.

"Hmm," the Doctor said, as the three of them dashed back to the lift. The lift took them back down to the reception area.

"I can't see him," Martha said, looking around.

"Me, neither," Clara said, craning her neck to try and see.

"He can't be far," the Doctor said. "Keep looking."

Clara went of with the Doctor, still searching the room.

"Ah, Doctor," Francine said, as they walked back up again.

"Where did they go?" the Doctor asked, as they had heard the Tish had gone off with Lazarus.

"Upstairs, I think, why?" Leo asked.

The Doctor didn't answer, but instead, grabbed Clara's hand and rushed off, accidentally spilling Francine's drink.

"Doctor-" Francine had called. "I'm speaking to you!"

The Doctor, Clara, and Martha took the lift back up to Lazarus' office. Again.

"Where are they?" Martha asked, not seeing Tish or Lazarus.

The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and said, "Fluctuating DNA will give off an energy signature. I might be able to pick it up."

He held out his sonic screwdriver and slowly spun in a circle.

"Got him," he said when the beeping increased.

"Where?" Martha asked.

The Doctor didn't answer, but instead pointed the sonic at the ceiling.

"But this is the top floor!" Martha said.

"The roof!" Martha and Clara both exclaimed and they all ran for the stairs. When they got there, Lazarus was quoting T.S. Elliot to Tish, which the Doctor finished.

"'Falls the shadow'," he said. Lazarus turned to see the Doctor, Clara, and Martha.

"So, the mysterious Doctor knows his Elliot. I'm impressed," Lazarus said.

"Martha, what are you doing here?" Tish asked.

"Saving your life," Clara said.

"Tish, get away from him," Martha said.

"What? Don't tell me what to do," Tish said.

"I wouldn't have thought you had time for poetry, Lazarus, what with you being busy defying the laws of nature and all," the Doctor said.

"You're right, Doctor," Lazarus said. "One lifetime's been too short for me to do everything I'd like. How much more would I get done in two or three or four?"

"Doesn't work like that," the Doctor said. "Some people live more in 20 years than others do in 80. It's not the time that matters; it's the person."

"But if it's the right person, what a gift that would be," Lazarus said.

"Or what a curse," the Doctor said. "Look at what you've done to yourself."

"Who are you to judge me?" Lazarus asked.

"Over here, Tish," Martha said, and this time, Tish actually listened.

"You have to spoil everything, don't you?" Tish asked Martha. "Every time I find someone nice, you have to go and find fault."

"I think it's actually true this time," Clara said, looking behind Tish to see that Lazarus was having an attack or something.

"It's none of your business!" Tish snapped at Clara.

"Tish, he's a monster!" Martha said.

"I know the age thing's a bit freaky, but it works for Catherine Zeta-Jones," Tish said.

"Yeah, I don't think it'll work this time," Clara said, as she saw that Lazarus was fully changed. Tish turned around at the sound of growling. Lazarus looked like a cross between a human skeleton and a scorpion.

"Run!" the Doctor shouted.

After they ran inside, the Doctor sealed the lock with his sonic screwdriver and Martha pressed the button to call the lift.

"Are you okay?" Martha asked Tish.

"I was gonna snog him," Tish said in horror.

"I think we should maybe take the stairs," Clara suggested, as Lazarus was banging on the door, alerting the security system. Sirens started to go off a warning came over the PA.

"Security breach. Security breach. Security breach," the PA announced.

"What's happening?" Martha asked.

"Uh, an intrusion," Tish said. "It triggers a security lockdown. Kills most of the power. Stops the lifts. Seals the exits."

"He must be breaking through that door," the Doctor said. "The stairs, come on!"

"Told you so!" Clara said, as they ran.

"He's inside!" Martha exclaimed, as they ran down the stairs and they heard the door crash open.

"Haven't got much time!" the Doctor said.

"I really hate these shoes!" Clara said, struggling to run fast.

Down at reception, it was calm as everyone was oblivious to what was happening upstairs.

"Tish! Is there another way out of here?" the Doctor asked.

"There's an exit in the corner, but it'll be locked now," Tish said.

Clara took a second to rip the side of her dress up to the middle of her thigh, so that it was easier for her to run. She also broke off the heels to her shoes so that they were flat.

The Doctor tossed Martha his sonic screwdriver and said, "Martha, setting 54. Hurry."

Clara stayed with the Doctor as Martha and Tish ran off. The Doctor jumped on the platform in front of the machine.

"Listen to me! You people are in serious danger! You need to get out of here right now!" the Doctor shouted out.

"Don't be ridiculous," a woman said. "The biggest danger here is choking on an olive."

"That could always happen," Clara said.

Glass shattered everywhere as Lazarus burst in from above, landing down on the floor. People immediately started screaming and panicking, like they always did. Lazarus closed in on the woman who didn't believe the Doctor and she just stood there like an idiot.

"No! Get away from her!" the Doctor shouted.

The woman screamed and Lazarus dropped her dry shell of a body to the floor, then turned on Francine and Leo, who was slowly coming to.

"Lazarus! Leave them alone!" the Doctor said.

Martha then rushed over to her family.

"Hey, you big ugly brute! Leave them alone!" Clara shouted, throwing a remainder of her heel at Lazarus' head.

That got his attention just enough so that Martha got her family to safety.

"What's the point if you can't control it?" the Doctor asked. "That mutation's too strong. Killing those people won't help you. You're a fool, a vain old man who thought he could defy Nature. Only Nature got her own back, didn't she? You're a joke, Lazarus! A footnote in the history of failure!"

The Doctor grabbed Clara's hand as they took off running from the reception and through the hallways with Lazarus following them. Clara was glad that she had broken off her heels as she and the Doctor was creeping silently through the service hall filled with pipes.

"It's no good, Doctor," Lazarus hissed. "You can't stop me. You may as well give me your little female as a snack."

"Is that the same arrogance you had when you swore nothing had gone wrong with your device?" the Doctor asked, tightening his grip on Clara's hand in protection.

"The arrogance is yours," Lazarus said. "You can't stand in the way of progress."

"You call feeding on innocent people progress? You're delusional!" the Doctor said.

"It is a necessary sacrifice," Lazarus said.

"That's not your decision to make," the Doctor said.

The lights suddenly came back on, no longer hiding the Doctor and Clara from sight.

"Peek-a-boo," Lazarus said.

The Doctor and Clara looked up to see Lazarus on the ceiling above them.

"Oh, hello," the Doctor said, then took off running with Clara. They ended up in a lab, where the Doctor immediately started fiddling with the battery of a light fixture, leaving all the wires exposed. He then turned on all the gas jets and pulled Clara down with him, hiding when they heard Lazarus.

"More hide-and-seek, Doctor?" Lazarus asked. "How disappointing. Why don't you come out and face me?"

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?" the Doctor asked, standing, but he pushed Clara's head down to keep her hiding. "Why would I wanna face that, hmm?"

He grabbed Clara up and took off running again, flipping a switch as he left, causing the room to explode behind them. Clara was then glad she had ripped her dress and broken her heels. She would be no good if she hadn't. The Doctor and Clara rounded a corner, running into Martha.

"What are you doing here?" the Doctor asked.

"I'm returning this," Martha said, holding out the sonic screwdriver. "I thought you might need it."

"How did you-?" the Doctor asked.

"I heard the explosion," Martha said. "Guessed it was you."

"That was really a no-brainer," Clara said and Martha nodded.

"We blasted Lazarus," the Doctor said.

"Did you kill him?" Martha asked.

Her question was answered as Lazarus came crashing down the hall towards them.

"More sort of annoyed him, I'd say," the Doctor said.

"I'd say run!" Clara said, pulling the Doctor with her. They went back to the reception room, which was mainly empty now.

"What now? We've just gone 'round in a circle!" Martha said.

Lazarus burst into the room and the Doctor headed straight for the machine in the room.

"We can't lead him outside," the Doctor said. "Come on, get in."

There was hardly even any breathing space as the three of them packed into the machine. Clara was in between the Doctor and Martha, not even enough room to put a hair in between them.

"It's too cramped," Clara muttered.

"Are we hiding?" Martha asked.

"No, he knows we're here," the Doctor said. "But his is his masterpiece. I'm betting he won't destroy it, not even to get at us."

"Unless he has more of them," Clara said.

"We're trapped!" Martha said.

"Well, yeah, that's a slight problem," the Doctor said.

"You mean you don't have a plan?" Martha asked.

"Yes, the plan was to get inside here!" the Doctor said.

"Then what?" Martha asked.

"I don't think he's thought that far ahead," Clara said into the Doctor's chest.

"Well...then I'd come up with another plan," the Doctor said, confirming what Clara had just said.

"In your own time then," Martha said.

The Doctor tried to reach into his pockets and Clara cried out, "Oi! Watch the hands mister!" and turned a shade of red.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," the Doctor said, not really sounding sorry, but actually smirking. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and said, "Here we are."

"What're you gonna do with that?" Martha asked.

"Improvise," the Doctor said.

"What he does best," Clara said.

The Doctor crouched down to the floor as best he could, his face against Clara's legs (yes, even his lips) as popped open a panel.

"I still don't understand where that thing came from. Is it alien?" Martha asked.

"No, for once it's strictly human in origin," the Doctor said, and Clara sniggered as his talking tickled her exposed leg (from ripping open her dress).

"Human? How can it be human?" Martha asked as the Doctor used his sonic screwdriver on some wires attached in the panel.

"Probably from dormant genes in Lazarus' DNA," the Doctor said. "The energy field in this thing must have reactivated them. And it looks like they're becoming dormant."

"So it's a throwback," Martha said.

"Some option that evolution rejected for you millions of years ago, but the potential is still there," the Doctor said. "Locked away in your genes, forgotten about until Lazarus unlocked it by mistake."

"It's like Pandora's box," Martha said.

"Exactly," the Doctor said. "Nice shoes, by the way."

"I assume you're talking to Martha," Clara said, barely able to lift up her broken heel.

"Maybe," the Doctor smirked.

"Oi!" she exclaimed.

A blue light suddenly filled the capsule.

"Doctor, what's happening?" Martha asked.

"Sounds like he's switched the machine on," the Doctor said.

"That's not good, is it?" Martha asked.

"Well, I was hoping it was gonna take him a little bit longer to work that out," the Doctor.

"You thought of this?" Clara asked. "I don't really want to end up like him!"

The Doctor continued to work on the wiring.

"I don't want to hurry you, but-" Martha said.

"I know, I know," the Doctor said. "Nearly done."

"What're you doin'?" Martha asked.

"Trying to set the capsule to reflect energy rather than receive it," the Doctor said.

"Will that kill him?" Martha asked.

"When he transforms, he's three times his size—cellular triplication—so he's spreading himself thin," the Doctor said.

"We're gonna end up like him!" Martha said, repeating Clara's fear.

"Just one more!" the Doctor said, as he pulled a wire. There was a loud noise outside and then the Doctor opened the door and stepped out, then Clara, then Martha. The first thing Clara did was take a deep breath.

"I thought we were gonna go through the blender then," Martha said.

"Me, too," Clara said, stretching her arms out.

"Really shouldn't take that long just to reverse the polarity. I must be a bit out of practice," the Doctor said.

"A bit?" Clara asked.

They then spotted Lazarus on the floor, human and very naked.

"Oh," Martha said. "He seems so...human again. It's kind of pitiful."

"Eliot saw that, too," the Doctor said, then quoted, "'This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but with a whisper'."

The paramedics came then to remove the body and carried it out on a gurney in a body bag. The Doctor, Clara, and Martha all stood of the steps and watched. Tish then came rushing up to Martha.

"She's here," Tish said, hugging her sister. "Oh, she's all right."

"Ah, Mrs. Jones, we still haven't finished our chat," the Doctor said. Francine Jones then slapped him in the face.

"Keep away from my daughter," she said.

"Mum, what are you doing?" Martha asked.

The Doctor put his hand to his cheek and said, "All their mothers, every time."

"Don't make the mothers mad," Clara suggested.

"He is dangerous! I've been told things," Francine said, then turned to Clara. "You'd be better off heeding my warning as well."

"Um, I'm good," Clara said.

"What are you talking about?" Martha asked.

Francine took her by the shoulders and said, "Look around you! Nothing but death and destruction!"

"This isn't his fault," Martha protested. "He saved us, all of us!"

"It was Tish who invited everyone to this thing in the first place," Leo said. "I'd say technically, it's her fault."

There was suddenly a crash from outside and the Doctor glanced at Clara and Martha before taking off. Clara immediately set off after him as they headed to the ambulance where the disturbance was. Martha and then Tish joined them. The doors to the ambulance were open and the medics were standing around.

"Lazarus, back from the dead," the Doctor said. "Should've know, really."

The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and scanned for Lazarus again.

"Where's he gone?" Martha asked.

"That way," the Doctor said. "The church."

"Cathedral," Tish said. "It's Southwark Cathedral. He told me."

"Do you think he's in here?" Martha asked, as they entered the church.

"Where would you go if you were looking for sanctuary?" the Doctor asked.

"The TARDIS," Clara answered and the Doctor smiled slightly at her as they found Lazarus sitting on the floor in front of the alter. He had a red blanket wrapped around himself.

"I came here before," Lazarus said. "A lifetime ago. I thought I was going to die then. If fact, I was sure of it. I sat there, just a child...the sound of planes and bombs outside."

"The Blitz," the Doctor said.

"You've read about it," Lazarus said.

"I was there," the Doctor said.

"So was I," Clara said, thinking back to the barrage balloon.

"You're both too young," Lazarus scoffed.

"So are you," the Doctor said.

Lazarus laughed, but it turned to a gasp of pain as he tried to fight the mutation.

"In the morning, the fires had dies, and I was still alive. I swore I'd never face death like that again," Lazarus said.

Clara could see the Doctor was planning something as he slowly circled Lazarus, looking up at the bell tower above them.

"So defenceless," Lazarus said. "I would arm myself, fight back, defeat it."

"That's what you were trying to do today," the Doctor said.

"That's what I did today," Lazarus said.

"What about the other people who died?" the Doctor asked.

"They were nothing," Lazarus said. "I changed the course of history."

"Any of them might have done, too," the Doctor said. "You think history's only made with equations? Facing death is part of being human. You can't change that."

"No, Doctor," Lazarus said. "Avoiding death. That's being human. It's our strongest impulse, to cling to life with every fibre of being. I'm doing what everyone before me has tried to do. I've simply been more...successful."

He groaned as his body tried to change.

"Look at yourself! You're mutating! You've no control over it! You call that a success?" the Doctor asked.

"I call it progress," Lazarus said. "I'm more now than I was. More than just an ordinary human."

"There's not such thing as an ordinary human," the Doctor said.

"He's gonna change again at any minute," Martha whispered.

"I know," the Doctor whispered back. "If I can get him up into the bell tower somehow, I've an idea that might work."

"Up there?" Martha whispered and the Doctor nodded.

"You're so sentimental, Doctor," Lazarus said. "Maybe you are older than you look."

"I'm old enough to know that a longer life isn't always a better one," the Doctor said. "In the end, you just get tired. Tired of the struggle. Tired of losing everyone that matters to you. Tired of watching everything turn to dust. If you live long enough, Lazarus, the only certainty left is that you end up alone."

"That's a price worth paying," Lazarus said.

"Is it?" the Doctor said.

"I will feed soon," Lazarus said.

"I'm not gonna let that happen," the Doctor said.

"You've not been able to stop me so far," Lazarus said.

"Leave him, Lazarus! He's old and bitter," Martha said. "Thought you had a taste for fresher meat."

"Young and soft female meat," Clara said, baiting Lazarus also.

"Martha, Clara, no," the Doctor said.

Lazarus snarled and chased after Martha and Clara, who had taken off running with Tish right behind them. Martha and Clara, that was, not Lazarus.

"What are you doing?" Martha asked Tish.

"Keeping you both out of trouble!" Tish said.

"Doctor! The tower!" Martha said, as the three of them ran up a narrow spiral staircase that lead to the bell tower.

"Did you hear that?" Tish asked, as Lazarus screamed.

"He's changed again," Martha said. "We've got to lead him up."

"Just keep running!" Clara cried.

"Martha?! Clara?!" the Doctor called out. Martha and Clara both peered out of one of the archways above him.

"Doctor!" Martha yelled.

"Take him to the top, the very top of the bell tower, d'you hear me?!" the Doctor asked.

"Gotcha, Doctor!" Clara shouted.

"Up to the top!" Martha said.

"Martha..." Tish said, as Lazarus was making his way along the passage.

"Then what?" Martha shouted to the Doctor.

"No time," Clara said.

"Martha, come on!" Tish said, as the two sisters followed after Clara to the top. The three girls arrived to the top of the bell tower that just circled around.

"There's nowhere to go! We're trapped!" Tish exclaimed.

"This is where he said to bring him," Martha said.

"All right, so we're not trapped. We're bait," Tish said.

"He knows what he's doing," Martha said. "We have to trust him."

"Ladies," Lazarus hissed, entering and blocking the only doorway.

"Stay behind me," Martha said. "If he takes me, make a run for it. Head down the stairs, you should have enough time."

"But-" Tish said.

"Just do it, Tish!" Martha said.

"Both of you get back!" Clara exclaimed, as Lazarus attacked the, bringing his tail down. Tish screamed, but Martha pushed her down.

Clara pushed Martha out of the way as Lazarus knocked away part of the wall. She was hit by Lazarus' tail and was knocked over the edge, clinging onto the stone left for dear life.

"Clara!" Martha and Tish both called, but they were unable to do anything. Lazarus leapt across the walkway to stand over Clara, who tried to shimmy to the left side.

"Hold on!" Tish said. "Get away from her!"

"Yeah, I'm holding on!" Clara said, pieces of rock digging into her hands. Clara could do nothing but clench her teeth as the sound waves from the organ the Doctor was playing below rose to where they were.

Lazarus writhed and then fell over the edge to the floor below them. Just as Clara was ready to fall, Martha and Tish each grabbed one of her arms.

"We've got you," Tish said. "Hold on."

"Thanks," Clara grunted, trying to help them pull herself up.

"Martha?! Clara?!" the Doctor called up to them.

"We're okay!" Martha said. "We're all okay! Thanks," she said to Tish.

"It's your Doctor you should be thanking," Tish said.

"Told you he'd think of something," Martha said.

"He cut it a bit fine there, didn't he?" Tish asked.

"I'll say," Clara said.

"He always does," Martha said, looking at Clara, who nodded. "It's more fun that way."

"Maybe for you," Clara said, examining her hands that were slightly bleeding.

"Who is he?" Tish asked.

"He's...he's the Doctor," Martha said.

Clara picked herself up off the floor and ran down the stairs to where the Doctor was. She embraced the Doctor and kissed him, but then hissed as her hands started to hurt.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said. "Just my hands."

"I'll fix them up when we get back to the TARDIS," he said.

"Okay," she said, smiling.

"I didn't know you could play?" Martha said, as she hugged the Doctor.

"Oh, well, you know, if you hang around with Beethoven, you're bound to pick a few things up," the Doctor said.

"Hmm, especially about playing loud," Martha said.

"No kidding," Clara said, rubbing her ears.

"Sorry?" the Doctor asked, leaning forward, as if he didn't hear them.

"Oh, get outta here," Clara said, laughing along with Martha.

They slowly made their way back to Martha's flat, where the TARDIS was still parked.

"This dress is totally ruined," Clara said, looking down at the tattered piece of cloth.

"Looks alright to me," Martha said. "The slit actually works."

"Thanks," Clara said.

"I think the Doctor likes it, too," Martha teased.

"Oh, shut it!" Clara said, going red. The Doctor rubbed behind his neck, obviously uncomfortable.

They finally reached the TARDIS and stood in front of it.

"Something else that just kind of escalated, then," the Doctor said.

"I can see a pattern developing," Martha said. "You both should take more care in the future. And the past, and whatever other time period you find yourselves in."

"It's good fun, though, isn't it?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah," Martha said.

"So, what d'you say, one more trip?" the Doctor asked.

"No. Sorry," Martha said.

"Are you sure?" Clara asked.

"What do you mean?" the Doctor asked at the same time. "I thought you liked it."

"I do, but I can't go on like this," Martha said. "'One more trip.' It's not fair."

"What're you talking about?" the Doctor asked.

"He doesn't get it," Clara said, shaking her head.

"I don't want to be just a passenger anymore," Martha said. "Someone you take along for a treat. If that's how you still see me, well, I'd rather stay here."

"Okay, then," the Doctor said. "If that's what you want."

"Seriously?" Clara said, turning towards him, confused. She thought he liked Martha. She did.

"Right," Martha said. "But we've already said good-bye once today, so it's really best if you both just go."

Martha walked away from the TARDIS with her back to it and them.

"Um, Martha?" Clara said, noting the Doctor's face.

"What is it?" Martha asked, turning around.

"What? I said okay," the Doctor said.

"Sorry?" Martha asked.

"Okay," the Doctor said, nodding head at the TARDIS.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" Martha said, hugging Clara and then the Doctor, laughing.

"Well, you were never really just a passenger, were you?" the Doctor asked.

"I think he always meant to take you," Clara said, as they entered the TARDIS and it dematerialized.

**REVIEW!**


	35. 42

**42**

Clara, glad to be in flat shoes again, was watching as the Doctor was sonicing Martha's mobile.

"There you go! Universal Roaming. Never have to worry about a signal again," the Doctor said, tossing the mobile back to Martha, who caught it.

"No way!" Martha said. "But it's...too mad! You're telling me I can call anyone, anywhere in Space and Time on my mobile?!"

"Yup," Clara said, pulling out her own mobile. She still hadn't deleted Rose's or Jackie's numbers from it and didn't think she ever would.

"Long as you know the area code," the Doctor said, smiling. "Frequent Fliers' privilege. Go on. Try it."

Martha started to dial, but suddenly, the TARDIS started to jolt, throwing them all to the floor.

"Oof! What was that?" Clara asked.

"Distress signal!" the Doctor said. "Locking on! Might be a bit of..."

Another jolt end them all flying again, after they had picked themselves up.

"...Turbulence," he finished. "Sorry! Come on, Martha, Clara! Let's take a look!"

Clara brushed her cargo pants off and followed him and Martha to the doors of the TARDIS.

"Whoa! Now that is hot!" the Doctor said, walking out of the TARDIS.

"Whoa! It's like a sauna in here!" Martha said, following him.

Clara stepped out into what looked like an engine room and it was boiling hot. Clara removed her jacket and threw it back into the TARDIS.

"Blimey, that's hot," Clara said, already sweating.

"Venting systems," the Doctor said, looking around. "Working at full pelt. Trying to cool down...Uh, wherever it is we are. Well! If you can't stand the heat..."

He walked towards the door near them and opened it, which had cooler air. Only slightly, though.

"Well, that's better..." he said, as Clara and Martha followed them.

Three people, two men and a woman, came running down the hallway towards them.

"Oi! You three!" one man shouted.

"Get out of there!" the woman said.

"Seal the door! Now!" the man said, pointing.

Both the Doctor and Clara were stunned and confused at what they were saying. The two men quickly sealed the door, just after Martha stepped out.

"Who are you?" the woman asked. "What are you doing on my ship?"

"Are you police?" one man asked.

"Why would we be police?" the Doctor asked.

"No, we're not police," Clara said.

"We got your distress signal," Martha explained.

"If this is a ship, why can't I hear any engines?" the Doctor asked.

"It went dead four minutes ago," the woman said.

"So maybe we should stop chatting and get to engineering, Captain," the second man said.

"Secure closure active," the computer said.

"What?!" the woman exclaimed, as there was a loud clang from behind her.

"The ship's gone mad," the second man said.

Another woman came running towards them with doors slamming shut right behind her.

"Who activated secure closure?" the new woman asked. "I nearly got locked into area 27."

The closest door slammed shut, locking them all in the section.

"Who are you?" the woman asked the Doctor, Clara, and Martha.

The Doctor opened his mouth to answer, but Martha cut him off.

"He's the Doctor, she's Clara, and I'm Martha. Hello," she said, walking forwards, looking like she was possessed.

"Impact projection: 42 minutes," the computer said.

"What is it, Martha?" Clara asked, walking towards her. She saw what Martha was seeing out the window and started to panic.

"We'll get out of this. I promise," the Captain said.

"Doctor..." Martha said shakily.

"You should come see this," Clara said in a strangled-sounding voice.

"Forty-two minutes 'til what?" the Doctor asked.

"Doctor! Look!" Martha said, almost nearly screaming. She pressed her face up against the window. Outside the spaceship they were in, there was a sun, way too close for comfort. The ship appeared to be hurtling towards it.

"Forty-two minutes until we crash into the sun," the Captain said.

"How many crew members on board?" the Doctor asked, rushing from the window. Clara and Martha seemed transfixed on the view before them.

"Seven, including us," the woman said.

"We transport cargo across the galaxy. Everything's automated. We just keep the ship..." one of the men said.

"Call the others, I'll get you out!" the Doctor said, heading back to where the TARDIS was parked. He went to open the door and the crew members of the ship went to stop him.

"What's he doing?!" the first man asked.

"No! Don't!" the Captain screamed.

It was too late, though. The Doctor opened the door and it was so hot, it knocked him off his feet. Clara and Martha both rushed to help him, but he was alright. One of the crew members shut the door, while everyone else gathered round the Doctor.

"Alright, let's give him some air," Clara said.

"But my ship's in there!" the Doctor said.

"In the vent chamber?" the man asked.

"It's our lifeboat!" the Doctor said.

"It's lava," the other man said.

"The temperature's going mad in there!" the other woman who had closed the door said. "Up 3000 degrees in ten seconds, and still rising."

"Channeling the air," the man said. "The closer we get to the sun, the hotter that room's gonna get."

"We're stuck here," Martha said with contempt.

"It wouldn't be the first time," Clara said.

"So?" the Doctor said. "We fix the engines, we steer the ship away from the Sun! Simple! Engineering down here, is it?!"

He started running down a corridor with Clara right behind him.

"Impact in 40.26," the computer said.

The Doctor and Clara were followed by the rest of the crew and the Doctor stopped suddenly and Clara ran into the back of him.

"Oi!" she exclaimed, regaining her balance.

"Blimey!" the Doctor said. "Do you always leave things in such a mess?"

"Oh, my gosh!" the Captain exclaimed.

"What the hell happened?" the second man, named Scannell asked.

The engine in front of them looked completely wreaked. There were wires everywhere, all of them steaming.

"Oh, it's wrecked," the first man, named Riley, said.

"Poor efficiently, too," the Doctor said. "Someone knew what they were doing."

He walked over to a computer terminal that was still attached to the wreaked engine.

"Where's Korwin?" Captain McDonnell asked, looking around. "Has anyone heard from him or Ashton?"

"No," Scannell said.

"You mean someone did this on purpose?" Martha asked.

"Sabotage," Clara said, looking at the engine with wide eyes.

McDonnell ran over to an intercom system and used it.

"Korwin? Ashton? Where are you?" she asked, but there was no response. "Korwin, can you answer?!"

There was still no answer, so she left the intercom.

"Where the hell is he? He should be up here!" McDonnell said.

The Doctor had been scanning to try and find out where they were. Behind him, there was chaos as the crew was rushing about, trying to find the missing men.

"Oh! We're in the Toraiji system!" the Doctor said. "Lovely! You're a long way from home, Martha. Half a universe away."

Clara was actually glad that he said that. That got her thinking that her home wasn't Earth anymore. It was the in the TARDIS with the Doctor.

"Yeah," Martha said sarcastically. "Feels it."

"And you're still using energy scoops for fusion?" the Doctor asked McDonnell. "Hasn't that been outlawed yet?"

The crew looked round at each other guiltily.

"We're due to upgrade next docking," McDonnell said, walking away from the Doctor. "Scannell, engine report."

The man went over to the computer that the Doctor had been at and scanned it.

"No response," he said, going to the engine.

"What?!" McDonnell asked.

"They're burnt out," Scannell said. "The controls are wrecked. I can't get them back online."

"Yeah, but you've got him," Clara said, pointing her thumb at the Doctor.

He took his brainy specs off and said, "Oh, come on! Auxiliary engines! Every craft's got auxiliaries!"

"We don't have access from here," McDonnell said. "The auxiliary controls are in the front of the ship."

"Well, that's rubbish," Clara said.

"Yeah, and there's 29 password sealed doors between us and them," Scannell said. "You'll never get there in time."

"Can't you override the doors?" Martha asked.

"No," Scannell said. "Sealed doors means what it says. They're all dead-locked sealed."

"So a sonic screwdriver's no use..." the Doctor said, sounding disappointed.

"It's all right, dear," Clara said, patting his back.

"Nothing's any use," Scannell said. "We've got no engines, no time, and no chance."

"Oh, listen to you! Defeated before you've even started!" the Doctor said. "Where's your Dunkirk spirit?! Who's got the door passwords?"

"They're randomly generated," Riley said, interrupting. "Reckon I know most of 'em. Sorry. Riley Vashti."

"Then what're you waiting for, Riley Vashti, get on it!" the Doctor said, taking command.

"Well, it's a two-person job," Riley said. "One, it takes to answer the questions, and the other to carry this," he said, putting a large backpack on his back. "The oldest and cheapest security system around, eh captain?"

"Reliable and simple, just like you, eh, Riley?" McDonnell said.

"Try and be helpful, get abuse. Nice!" Riley said.

"I'll help you. Make myself useful," Martha said, taking the equipment from Riley.

"It's remotely controlled by computer panel. That's why it needs two," Riley said.

"Oi!" the Doctor said, as Martha was going to follow Riley. "Be careful."

"You, two, too," Martha said, smiling at him and Clara.

"Are we ever anything but?" Clara asked, making Martha grin widely before she left with Riley.

"McDonnell?" a man's voice said over the intercom. "It's Ashton."

McDonnell ran back to the intercom system.

"Where are you? Is Korwin with you?" McDonnell asked.

"Get up to the med-centre, NOW!" Ashton said seriously.

McDonnell left the intercom system and ran, with the Doctor and Clara right behind her. Clara gave a wave as they tore past Martha and Riley.

"Impact in 34.31," the computer said.

They ran into the med room and Clara paused at the sight of the man in front of her. The man, Ashton, was thrashing around on a bed, in pain.

"Korwin!" McDonnell exclaimed. "What's happened?! Is he okay!?"

"Help me! It's burning me!" Korwin said, still thrashing about. The Doctor ran to the foot of the bed.

"How long's he been like this!?" the Doctor asked.

"Ashton just brought him in," the medical woman, named Abi said.

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and began to scan Korwin.

"What are you doing?!" McDonnell asked, panicking, as Korwin gave another shriek of pain.

"Sonic impulse," the Doctor said.

"Don't be stupid, that's my husband!" McDonnell said, pushing past Ashton to the head of the bed.

"And he's just sabotaged our ship!" Ashton said.

"What?" McDonnell asked, turning to Ashton.

"He went mad. He set the ship to secure closure, then he set the heat pulse to melt the controls," Ashton said.

"No way! He wouldn't do that!" McDonnell said.

"I saw it happen, Captain," Ashton said.

"Korwin? Korwin, open your eyes for me a second," the Doctor said, finished scanning him.

"I can't," Korwin said, his voice full of pain.

"C'mon, sweetheart," Clara said in a gentle voice, like she was soothing a child. "Please do it."

"No, I can't," Korwin said.

"Yeah, course you can," the Doctor said. "Go on."

"Don't make me look at you! Please!" Korwin said.

"Alright, alright, alright," the Doctor said. "Just relax."

He held up a syringe up and showed it to Abi.

"Sedative?" he asked.

"Yes," Abi said.

The Doctor pressed the gun up to Korwin's neck and gave him the sedative. The man gave a final shout and then fell still and silent.

"Rising body temperature, unusual energy readings..." the Doctor said, then pointed to the MRI scanner next to the bed. "Stasis chamber. I do love a good stasis chamber. Keep him sedated in there. Regulate the body temperature. And, just for fun, run a bio-scan and tissue profile on a metabolic detail."

"Just doing them now," Abi said.

"Oh, you're good. Anyone else presenting these symptoms?" the Doctor asked.

"Not so far," Abi said.

"Well, that's something," the Doctor said.

"Will someone tell me what is the matter with him?!" McDonnell asked, still standing by her husband's bed, looking down at him.

"Some sort of infection," the Doctor said. "We'll know more after the test results. Now, Allons-y back downstairs. Ay! See about those engines. Go. Ay! Go. Call us if there's news!"

He noticed that Clara was staying and motioned for her to come.

"Nope, I'm gonna stay here," Clara said. "I need to feel like I'm helping."

"Alright, just be careful," the Doctor said.

"Will do," she said.

"Right, any questions?" he asked Abi.

"Yeah," Abi said, scoffing. "Who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor!" he said, sticking his head back through the plastic curtains at the door and then he was gone.

"Right, and who are you?" Abi said, turning to Clara.

"Clara Tyler. Pleased to meet you," she said. "Anything I can help you with."

"Yeah, sure, take notes on the tests," Abi said, turning to the machine to take more tests on Korwin.

Clara thought she saw something moving out of the corner of her eye, but dismissed it as heat waves.

"Heat shields failing. At twenty-five percent. Impact in 32.50," the computer said.

"Abi, Clara, how's Korwin doing?" the Doctor's voice came over the intercom a while later. "Any results from the bio-scan?"

The tests results had come back, but they didn't make much sense to Abi, so the two of them were trying to sort them out.

"He's under heavy sedation," Abi said. "I'm just trying to make sense of this data. Give me a couple of minutes and I'll let you know."

"I just don't get it," Abi said to Clara. This is telling me he's human, but not quite. It's odd. Everything in his body's changing."

"D'you think it's a virus?" Clara asked. "An alien virus?"

"I dunno, but I'm not liking it," Abi said.

"I think we should tell the Doctor now," Clara said.

Abi got on the intercom and said, "Doctor, these readings are starting to scare me."

"What d'you mean?" the Doctor asked.

"Well, Korwin's body's changing! His whole biological make-up, it...it's impossible!" Abi said.

"I think it might be some sort of virus, Doctor," Clara said.

There was a bang behind them and Clara glanced over her shoulder to see that Korwin was up, even though he should have been sedated.

"This is med-centre," Abi said, her voice starting to rise. "Urgent assistance requested. Urgent assistance! Clara, get out of here!"

Clara really didn't want to leave, but the look on Abi's face said that she wasn't joking.

"Run, Clara!" Abi shouted. "Urgent assistance!"

"Abi, they're on their way," one of the crew members said.

Clara took off from the room, running as fast as she could, more for help for Abi than anything.

"Doctor!" she called out as she sprinted.

"Burn with me. Burn with me," a voice said over the intercom.

Clara continued running but stopped in her tracks as she heard Abi scream out over the intercom.

"What am I doing?" she asked herself and started running back to the med-centre.

"Doctor, what were those screams?" Martha asked over the intercom.

"Concentrate on those doors! You've gotta keep moving forward!" the Doctor yelled back.

Clara stopped short as she entered the med-centre. Korwin was gone, and so was Abi.

"Oh, my gosh," she whispered, putting her hands up to her mouth as she turned to where Abi had been last. There was nothing left but a big black mark on the wall. It had the same shape as a human and one arm was in the air. Behind her, the Doctor, McDonnell, and Scannell ran in.

"Korwin's gone," McDonnell said, looking shaken.

"Oh, my gosh," Scannell said, turning to look at what Clara was looking at.

"Are you all right?" the Doctor asked Clara, grabbing her upper arms.

She couldn't say anything, she was in shock. She had tears in her eyes as she continued to stare at the spot on the wall. The Doctor finally saw it and slowly walked towards it.

"Tell me that's not Lerner," Scannell said.

"Endorthermic vaporization," the Doctor said, running his finger around the outline of the shape. "I've never seen one this ferocious. Burn with me."

"That's what we heard Korwin say," Scannell said.

"What?! D'you think...no way! Scannell, tell him! Korwin is not a killer! He can't vaporize people! He's human!" McDonnell argued.

"I'm sorry," Clara whispered. "I'm so sorry, but it was Korwin. He should've been sedated. Abi told me to run, so I did. I ran away when I could've helped her. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Scannell said.

"His bio-scan results..." the Doctor said, picking up the x-rays and bio-scan results that Abi had been looking at. "...internal temperature, on hundred degrees! Body oxygen replaced by hydrogen! Your husband hasn't been infected, he's been overwhelmed!"

"The test results are wrong!" McDonnell said, snatching them out of the Doctor's hand.

"It's not," Clara said quietly.

"But what is it, though?" the Doctor rambled on. "Parasite? Mutagenic virus? Something that need a host body. But how did it get inside him!?"

"Stop talking like he's some kind of experiment!" McDonnell said, slightly hysterical.

"Where's the ship been?" the Doctor asked. "Have you made planet-fall recently? Docked with any other vessels? Any king of external contact at all?"

"What is this? An interrogation!?" McDonnell said.

"He's just trying to help!" Clara snapped, finally through with her.

"We've got to stop him before he kills again," the Doctor said, looking at Clara in concern.

"We're just...a cargo ship," McDonnell said, slightly taken aback by Clara's outburst. Scannell tried to comfort her after she turned away from the Doctor.

"Doctor, if you give her a minute..." Scannell said.

"We don't have a minute," Clara said.

"I'm fine," McDonnell said, "I need to warn the crew."

"I'm sorry, Doctor," Clara said, as he kept looking at the results. "I should've run away."

"I'm glad you did," the Doctor said. "If you hadn't, you would probably be dead as well."

Clara still felt bad as she sat down as the Doctor continued to look over the results.

"Is the infection permanent? Can you cure him?" McDonnell asked.

"I dunno," the Doctor said seriously.

"Don't lie to me, Doctor," McDonnell said. "Eleven years we've been married. We chose this ship together. He keeps me honest. So I don't want false hope."

"The parasite's too aggressive," the Doctor said. "Your husband's gone. There's no way back. Sorry."

"Thank you," McDonnell said, quietly taking it in.

"Are you...certain nothing happened to provoke this?" the Doctor asked, suddenly jumping up, walking towards McDonnell. "Nobody's working on anything secret, 'cause it's vital that you tell me."

"I know every inch of this ship. I know every detail of my crew's lives. There is nothing," McDonnell said.

"Then why is this thing so interested in you?" the Doctor asked, looking at her harshly.

"I wish I knew..." McDonnell said, shaking her head.

"Doctor, we're through to area 17," Martha said over the intercom.

"Keep going, you've got to get to area one and reboot those engines," the Doctor answered.

"Heat shield failing," the computer said. "At twenty percent."

The Doctor left the med-centre and started running down the corridor with Clara behind him. He didn't even tell her where he was going, she was just blindly following him.

A moment later, they heard Martha scream out, "Doctor! Clara! We're stuck in an escape pod off the area airlock. One of the crew's trying to jettison us! You've gotta help us!"

They made it back to engineering, where the Doctor was looking at something.

"Why is this happening?" McDonnell asked.

"Stay here!" the Doctor said, taking off his glasses. "I mean it this time! Jump start those engines!"

"I'll stay and help you guys," Clara said to McDonnell and Scannell.

She went to walk to the engines with them and they all stopped as they saw the same basic charred shape on the wall as Abi's in the med-centre.

"It's picking us off...one, by one," McDonnell said.

"Don't worry, the Doctor can fix this," Clara said, as McDonnell and Scannell both took off back for engineering to look for Ashton. "I don't think this is a good idea!"

She followed them anyways, hoping to be able to help them or talk them out of finding a dangerous person that was slowly killing off everyone on board.

"Ashton!" McDonnell called, but they realized he wasn't there and Clara breathed a sigh of relief.

"Someone's hacked into the systems. I can't reroute the generators!" Scannell said. "There's no way I'm gonna be able to jump-start this ship! Who the hell did that!? C'mon, you're with me," he told Clara.

They ran in the direction they came from, but didn't get far. Korwin showed up then, quite suddenly, and they all froze.

"Korwin?" McDonnell asked, backing up, as Korwin advanced on her. "What are you? Why are you killing my crew!? How could you do this? What have you done to my husband!? You recognize me. Korwin! You know me. It's Kath! Your wife!"

"My wife?" Korwin asked.

"That's right! You're still in there! I'm your wife!" McDonnell said.

"It's your fault," Korwin said.

Scannell kept Clara behind him as Korwin kept advancing on McDonnell.

"What do you mean, it's my fault?" McDonnell asked.

"It's your fault. Now burn with me!" Korwin said.

In front of Clara, Scannell burst into action, dashing over to a pressure gauge wheel. Korwin went to lift his visor, but suddenly, a jet of steam engulfed him, due to Scannell turning the wheel.

"What are you doing?!" McDonnell asked.

"Freezing him! Ice vents!" Scannell said.

"You'll kill him!" McDonnell said.

"I think it's a bit too late for that!" Clara said. "The Doctor said there was no way to bring him back."

Korwin fell to his knees, screaming.

"Clara! McDonnell! Ashton's heading in your direction! He's been infected, just like Korwin!" the Doctor said over the intercom.

"Korwin's dead, Doctor," Scannell said, heading to the comm unit.

Clara stayed back as McDonnell and Scannell knelt by Korwin.

"What did he mean, your fault?" Scannell asked. She didn't answer, but stroked Korwin's face. "What are you doing? Don't touch him, he's infected. You don't know how it spreads."

"You murdered him!" McDonnell said, a dark look in her eyes.

"He was about to kill you!" Scannell said.

"And then the rest of us," Clara said.

"He recognized me!" McDonnell said.

"Not enough to keep from killing you," Clara said.

"You heard the Doctor. It...it isn't Korwin anymore," Scannell said.

"The Doctor doesn't know! None of us knows!" McDonnell said, getting hysterical.

"He does know," Clara said seriously.

"So, what are you gonna do?" Scannell asked. "Stay here until we burn?! Cause without you...none of us stand a chance of getting out of here."

"Scannell!" the Doctor yelled over the intercom. "I need a spacesuit in area 17, now!"

"What for?" Scannell asked.

"Don't question him," Clara snapped.

"Just get down here!" the Doctor yelled.

Scannell looked unsure of what to do.

"Well, go on! Do what he says!" McDonnell said.

"Ashton's still out there," Scannell said.

"Clara and I will deal with him," McDonnell said, looking at Clara and she nodded.

"Right, let's see," McDonnell said, thinking. "I know, let's lead him to the med-centre and use the stasis chamber."

"Okay," Clara said.

"You're going to have to help me get him there," McDonnell said seriously.

"Understood," Clara said.

They decided that Clara was going to wait by the door in the med-centre, while McDonnell led him there. McDonnell came into the med-centre first and she moved to the other side of the door. Ashton paused in the doorway and McDonnell suddenly attacked him, punching him the stomach. Clara jumped on his back and wrapped her legs around his arms, while McDonnell wrestled him to the stasis chamber. Clara jumped off as they got him on the bed and McDonnell tried to find the switch that activated the chamber. Clara helped her hold Ashton down while the chamber did it's job. They were both exhausted by the time it was finished.

They then found Scannell again, who was opening doors again. There wasn't much Clara could do that this point, but she stayed with the two crew members. They reached door 10 before he called over the intercom to the Doctor.

"Doctor, close the airlock now!" Scannell said, then turned to McDonnell and Clara. "That pod's gonna smash into him!"

"Stay here!" McDonnell said, handing Clara her clamp. She ran off back to area 17 and Clara and Scannell continued working on the doors.

"Impact in 8. 57," the computer said. "Airlock recompression completed."

Clara and Scannell were working on the doors, but Clara was no help, as she didn't know any of the answers. Lucky for them, Riley ran towards them.

"What's your favorite color?" Scannell asked.

"You what?" Riley asked, not comprehending.

"It's the question!" Scannell said.

"Purple!" Riley said, helping Clara place the clamp on the door. "Or did I say orange?"

"Come on!" Scannell said angrily.

They eventually made it to section 4. Clara and Riley held the clamp to the door, while Scannell dealt with the backpack.

"Reckon we'll do it in time?" Scannell asked.

"I'm sure we can," Clara said, while Riley had a resigned look on his face.

"Impact in 3.43," the computer said and Clara rethought her answer then. "Exterior airlock opened."

"It's the last door," Riley said. "We've gotta keep going!"

"Impact in 2.17," the computer said.

"Martha!" the Doctor shouted over the intercom.

"Doctor! What are you doing?" Martha asked.

"I can't fight it," the Doctor said. "Give it back or...Burn with me. Burn with me, Martha! Burn with me, Clara!"

Clara had shivers running down her back and she started freaking out.

"No, not the Doctor," she whispered, as the Doctor screamed over the intercom.

"Impact in 1.21," the computer stated.

Scannell and Riley were working on the last door, trying to get it open.

"Got it!" Riley shouted as the door opened.

Clara followed them, knowing that she had to save Martha, even if the Doctor was gone. Scannell and Riley both ran to separate keypads, trying to boot up the auxiliary engines.

"Impact in 1.06," the computer said.

"It's not working. Why's it not working?" Riley said, looking at the screen as they frantically pressed buttons. Martha suddenly ran into the room.

"Vent the engines," Martha said. "Dump the fuel."

"What?" Scannell asked, looking at her questioningly.

"Sun particles in the fuel. Get rid of them. Do it. Now!" Martha said, and then they sprang into action.

"Is he alright, Martha?" Clara asked frantically.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Martha said, trying to soothe her. "Come on, Doctor, hold on," she said quietly.

Martha and Clara nearly fell as the ship lurched as Scannell and Riley dumped the fuel. Clara and Martha both held on, until they were thrown to the floor as the ship was even more violent.

"There! How're we gonna fly!?" Scannell asked.

"Impact averted. Impact averted," the computer stated.

As soon as everything was normal again, Clara was up and gone, running through the areas, heading towards the Doctor, while everyone celebrated. She found him, looking tired and worn out, still on the ground.

"Doctor!" she exclaimed, falling to the ground beside him. She grabbed his face and kissed him, glad he was alright.

She was helping him to his feet when Martha came towards them. She hugged the Doctor, and though he was weak, he lifted her off the ground. Clara just shook her head, smiling.

The TARDIS looked fine to Clara, who was relieved that the heat hadn't done any damage to the ship.

"This is never your ship!" Scannell said, as he and Riley admired the TARDIS.

"Compact!" the Doctor said. "Eh! And another good word, robust! Barely a scorch mark on her."

"Thank goodness," Clara said.

"We can't just leave them drifting with no fuel," Martha said, concerned for the two men.

"We've sent out an official mayday," Riley said. "The authorities will pick us up soon enough."

"Though how we explain what happened..." Scannell said.

"Just tell them," the Doctor said, opening the TARDIS door. "That sun needs care and protection, just like any other living thing."

Clara paused in the doorway of the TARDIS after the Doctor had gone in to look back. Riley had grabbed Martha's arm as she was about to follow.

"So...uh, you're off then," he said. "No chance I'll see you again?"

"Not really," Martha said. "It was nice...not dying with you. I reckon you'll find someone worth believing in."

"I think I already did," Riley said.

Clara grinned hugely as Martha then launched herself on Riley, kissing him. Clara was laughing as she turned around and entered the TARDIS, but stopped at the look on the Doctor's face.

"Doctor?" she asked, approaching him. "Are you alright?"

"Never better," he said, hugging her tightly.

"So!" Martha said, entering the TARDIS. "Didn't really need you in the end, did we!? Sorry. How're you doing?"

"Now!" the Doctor said, avoiding her question. "What do you both say? Ice skating on the mineral lakes of Cuhlhan? Fancy it?"

"Sure," Clara said, smiling.

"Whatever you like," Martha said unenthusiastically.

"By the way, you'll be needing this," the Doctor said, holding out a TARDIS key on a chain.

"Really?!" Martha asked.

"Frequent Flier's Privilege," he said, handing it to her. "Thank you. Both of you."

"Don't mention it," Martha said.

"Any time, dear," Clara said, as he took her hand.

"Oh, no! Mum!" Martha said, pulling out her mobile, dialing. "Me again!" she said, as her mum answered on the other end.

"Sorry about earlier," Martha said. "Over emotional, mad day!"

Clara was distracted as the Doctor showed her which buttons to press to dematerialize the TARDIS.

"So, ice skating?" she asked.

"Ice skating," the Doctor said, grinning.


	36. Human Nature

**Human Nature**

Everything had gone downhill. Clara wasn't exactly sure how or why, but it was pure chaos. The Doctor, Martha, and Clara had sprinted back to the TARDIS and set her off to another destination. The TARDIS had thrown them all to the floor and was sparking like crazy. The Doctor ran over to Martha and Clara and helped them both up, then looked at them closely.

"Did they see either of you?" he asked them urgently.

"I don't know!" Martha said.

"I don't think they did," Clara said in a panicked voice.

"Did they see you?" the Doctor asked again.

"I don't know, I was too busy running!" Martha said.

"Martha, it's important—did they see your face?" the Doctor asked.

"No, they couldn't have!" Martha said.

"They probably saw my hair," Clara said, touching her head.

The Doctor ran to the console, pressing buttons like crazy. A warning beep suddenly sounded and there were symbols on the computer screen.

"Ahh!" the Doctor said, annoyed. He grabbed the screen and read it. "They're following us."

"That shouldn't be possible," Clara said.

"How can they do that, you've got a time machine," Martha said.

"Stolen technology, they've got a Time Agent's vortex manipulator. They can follow us wherever we go, right across the universe. They're never going to stop," the Doctor said, running a hand through his hair. "Unless...I'll have to do it..."

"Do what?" Clara asked, scared by the look in his eyes.

"Martha, you trust me, don't you?" the Doctor asked.

"Of course I do," she said.

"Clara?" the Doctor asked.

"You don't even have to ask, dear," she said. "I trust you with my life."

"Good, cause it all depends on you two," the Doctor said, then dove beneath the console to get something.

"What does? What are we supposed to do?" Martha asked.

The Doctor held up what looked like a pocket watch.

"Take this watch, 'cause my life depends on it. The watch, Martha, Clara. The watch is-"

Clara woke up with Matron Redfern standing over her.

"Get up," Matron Redfern said, with a slight cross look on her face.

"I'm sorry," Clara said. "I don't know what came over me."

"You'll do well, Nurse Tyler, to wake up on time to do your job," Matron Redfern said.

"Yes, ma'am," Clara said. She waited until Matron Redfern was gone before sighing and getting up. She put on her nurse apron over her dress and then went about putting her hair up into a bun.

Clara followed after Matron Redfern, doing the morning rounds.

"Excuse me, ma'am," a boy said, going past them.

"It's quite alright," Clara said, smiling at him.

Clara's breath hitched as they approached Mr. Smith in the hallway, carrying a load of books.

"Good morning, Mr. Smith," she said shyly. She covered up a giggle as he fumbled with the top book in his stack, then dropped it. It fell to the floor and he stepped on it to keep it in place. 'Mr. Smith' was even more clumsy than the Doctor. Actually, she thought, the Doctor hadn't been clumsy at all. It must just be the human in the Doctor.

"There we go," Mr. Smith said.

"Let me help you," Matron Redfern offered.

"No, no, I've got it, no..." he said. "Um...ah...Just to...retrieve it...ah...If you could take these-"

He handed Matron Redfern the stack of books and bent to pick up the book the same time Clara did.

"Oh, sorry, sir," she said, as they bumped heads.

"Oh, it's quite all right, Miss-?" Mr. Smith asked.

"Tyler, sir. Nurse Tyler," she said.

She handed him the book and straightened up.

"No harm done," Mr. Smith said, smiling at Clara. "So, um, how was Jenkins?"

"Oh, just a cold, nothing serious," Matron Redfern said. "I think he's missing his mother, nothing more."

"Aw, can't have that," Mr. Smith said sympathetically.

"He receive a letter this morning, so he's a lot more chipper," Nurse Redfern said, then looked down a the books she was still holding. "I appear to be holding your books."

"Yes, so you are! Sorry, sorry," Mr. Smith said, after looking at Clara. He turned and took the books from Matron Redfern awkwardly. "Just let me-"

"No, why don't I take half?" Matron Redfern offered.

"Ah, brilliant idea, brilliant," Mr. Smith said. "Perfect. Division of labor."

"We make quite a team," Matron Redfern said and Clara's jealousy perked up.

"Don't we just," Mr. Smith said, smiling at Clara.

"So, these books," Matron Redfern said. "Were they being taken in any particular direction?"

"Yes, um. This way," Mr. Smith said.

He let Matron Redfern and Clara go first and followed after them. It would've been entirely improper to do so at the time, but he was looking at Clara's backside as she walked in front of him.

"I always say, Matron, give the boys a good head of steam, they'll soon wear themselves out," Mr. Smith said.

"Truth be told, when it's just you and me, I'd much rather you call me Nurse Redfern," she said. "'Matron' sounds rather...well, matronly."

Clara felt her face burning red with heat from jealousy.

"Ah, Nurse Redfern it is, then," Mr. Smith said, not really sounding sure.

"Though we've known each other all of two months, you could even say 'Joan'," she said.

"Joan?" Mr. Smith asked.

"That's my name," Joan said.

"Well, obviously," Mr. Smith said, slightly flustered. "And yours?"

"My what, sir?" Clara asked.

"Your name?"

"It's Clara," she said, looking back at him and smiled.

"And it's John, isn't it?" Matron Redfern asked, looking bothered by the fact that Mr. Smith was talking to Clara.

"Yes, yes it is," Mr. Smith said.

Clara felt awkward as Matron Redfern stopped at a notice board that Clara had seen so many times and looked at the notice about the dance.

"Have you seen this, John?" Matron Redfern asked. "The annual dance at the village hall tonight. It's nothing formal, but rather fun by all accounts. Do you think you'll go?"

"I hadn't thought about it," Mr. Smith said, flustered and unsure.

"It's been ages since I've been to a dance, only no one's asked me," Nurse Redfern said, laughing nervously.

"Well, I imagine that you would be...um...I mean I never thought you'd be one for...I mean, there's no reason why you shouldn't—if you do, you may not...I probably won't, but even if I did then I couldn't...um, I mean I wouldn't want to-" Mr. Smith stammered, not being able to form a complete sentence.

"Um, sir," Clara said.

"The stairs," Matron Redfern said.

"It—what about the stairs?" Mr. Smith asked.

"They're right behind you," Matron Redfern said.

Mr. Smith lost his balance then and tumbled down the stairs with the books flying into the air. Forgetting the propriety of the time, Clara rushed down the stairs, going to his aid, the same she would if he was still the Doctor.

"Sir, are you alright?" she asked, her voice full of concern. That was when she noticed the blood. "Matron! We need to get him to his room, right away!"

Mr. Smith leaned on Clara as she helped him back up the stairs and to his room. He seemed woozy and dizzy, like he had a concussion. She cleaned the cut on the back of his head, while Matron Redfern watched on, making sure she did everything correctly. Mr. Smith groaned from the pain.

"Stop it," Matron Redfern said, with a smile. "I get boys causing less fuss than this."

"Because it hurts!" Mr. Smith said sulkily.

"Sorry, sir," Clara said with concern.

Martha then burst into the room. In this whole thing, Martha was Mr. Smith's maid.

"Is he alright?" Martha asked, concerned.

"Excuse me, Martha," Matron Redfern said. "It's hardly good form to enter a master's study without knocking."

"Sorry, right, yeah," Martha said, a little annoyed. She then ran back to the door and knocked on it before coming back. "But is he alright? They said you fell down the stairs, Sir."

"No, it was just a tumble, that's all," Mr. Smith mumbled.

"Have you checked for concussion?" Martha asked Clara and Matron Redfern.

"We have," Matron Redfern said and Clara nodded. "And I daresay we know a lot more about it than you."

Clara gave Martha a look and Martha nodded.

"Sorry, I'll just...Tidy your things," Martha said.

"I was just telling Nurse Redfern—Matron, and Nurse Tyler, um, about my dreams. They are quite remarkable tales," Mr. Smith said.

Clara looked at Martha as if to say that Mr. Smith was remembering things about being the Doctor.

"I keep imagining that I'm someone else, and that I'm hiding-" Mr. Smith said.

"Hiding? In what way?" Matron Redfern asked.

"Um...er...almost every night...This is going to sound silly-" Mr. Smith said.

"Tell me," Matron Redfern said.

"I dream, quite often, that I have two hearts," Mr. Smith said.

Clara let out a small laugh that she tried not to make sound nervous as she said, "That's quite unlikely, Sir."

Matron Redfern pulled out a stethoscope from her doctor's bag and handed it to Clara.

"Go on," she said.

Clara held her breath as she put the stethoscope to Mr. Smith's chest and then let it out as she only heard one heartbeat.

"Only one heart, Sir," she said.

Mr. Smith let out a laugh at his silliness and said, "I have written down some of these dreams in the form of fiction...um...not that it would be of any interest."

"May I see them?" Clara asked, wondering what would be in it.

"I'd be very interested," Matron Redfern said.

"It's there on the desk," Mr. Smith said, and Clara walked over to see a small black, leather-bound journal. "Well...I've never shown it to anyone before."

Clara opened it to the first page, which read, 'Journal of Impossible Things.' She flipped through it to see pictures of very familiar things in it. She passed it to Matron Redfern, who looked impatient to see it.

"'Journal of Impossible Things'," Matron Redfern read out, looking at the first page. "Just look at these creatures! Such imagination."

"Mmm. It's become quite a hobby," Mr. Smith said, looking at Clara for her reaction.

"It's very interesting, Sir," Clara said.

"It's wonderful," Matron Redfern said. "And quite an eye for the pretty girls. This one looks quite like you, Nurse Tyler."

"I'm sorry, but that isn't possible," Clara said, trying to sound convincing. Martha looked at her in concern.

"Oh, no, no, they're just inventions," Mr. Smith said. "That one character, Rose. I call her, Rose."

Clara was saddened by the fact that he thought she was just an invention. She missed her cousin like crazy.

"Seems to disappear later on..." Mr. Smith said. He was looking at a picture with Matron Redfern. "Ah, that's the box, the blue box, it's always there. Like a...like a magic carpet, this funny little box that transports me to far away places."

"Like a doorway?" Matron Redfern asked.

"Mmm," Mr. Smith said. "I sometimes think how magical life would be if things like this were true."

"If only," Matron Redfern said and Clara bit her lip.

"It's just a dream," Mr. Smith said, with a short, quiet laugh.

Clara stayed behind after Matron Redfern had left with Martha following her. She looked at Mr. Smith's head again and said, "There you go, Sir. Good as new. 

"It's John, not Sir," Mr. Smith said, smiling.

"Oh, um, alright," Clara said, smiling.

"Um, I wanted to ask—but Nurse Redfern was there—would you accompany me to the dance?" Mr. Smith asked, sounding quite nervous.

Clara felt flattered. The Doctor wouldn't've asked her something like that. She flushed slightly and said, "Oh, I'd be flattered, John."

Martha then returned and Clara left, saying that she needed to check in with Matron Redfern. As she passed by Martha, she said she'd meet her at the pub that night.

Bundled up, Clara met up with Martha and her maid friend, Jenny, at the pub. She liked Jenny, who was a sweet person. Martha came out of the pub, carrying three pints.

"Ooh, it's freezing out here!" Martha said, shivering. "Why can't we have a drink inside the pub?"

"Now don't be ridiculous—you do get these notions!" Jenny said. "It's all very well those Suffragettes; but that's London, that's miles away."

Clara took her pint that Martha handed her and warmed her hands with it.

"But don't you want to scream sometimes, having to bow and scrape and behave, don't you just wanna tell them?" Martha asked.

Clara felt awkward. She was only outside with them because they were her friends. She was able to go inside and drink her pint if she wanted to.

"I dunno," Jenny said. "Things must be different in your country."

"Yeah, well, they are," Martha said. "Thank goodness I'm not staying."

"Me, neither," Clara said. "I don't know if I'm cut out for this nursing. No offense," she told Martha.

"You keep saying that," Jenny told Martha.

"Just you wait," Martha said. "One more month and we're as free as the wind. I wish you could come with us, Jenny—you'd love it!"

"Where are you gonna go?" Jenny asked.

"Anywhere," Martha said, at the same time Clara said, "Everywhere."

"Just look up there," Martha said, looking at the stars. "Imagine you could go all the way out to the stars."

"It's beautiful out there," Clara said.

"You don't half say mad things!" Jenny said, laughing.

"That's where we're going," Martha said. "Into the sky, all the way out."

Jenny laughed again.

"Did you see that?" Martha asked suddenly.

"See what?" Jenny asked.

"Did either of you see it though?" Martha asked, standing up. Right up there, just for a second."

"Martha, there's nothing there," Jenny said.

Martha looked at Clara.

"What was it, Martha?" Clara asked.

"A green light, up in the sky, for a split second," Martha said.

"You don't think-?" Clara said, suddenly afraid.

"I dunno," Martha said.

A moment later, Matron Redfern came running up to the pub in a panic.

"Matron, are you alright?" Martha asked.

"Did you see that?" Matron Redfern asked. "There was something in the woods...this light..."

Mr. Smith then came out of the pub and approached them.

"Anything wrong, ladies? Far too cold to be standing around in the dark, don't you-" he started, then Matron Redfern interrupted.

"There!" she said, pointing into the sky to see the green light fly over again. "There, look in the sky!"

"That's beautiful," Jenny said.

"Commonly known as a meteorite," Mr. Smith said. "It's just rocks falling to the ground, that's all."

"It came down in the woods," Matron Redfern said.

"No, no, no, they always look close, when actually they're miles off," Mr. Smith said. "Nothing left but a cinder. Now, I should escort you back to the school." He was looking at Clara when he said it. "Ladies?"

"Oh, no thank you, Mr. Smith," Clara said.

"No, we're fine, thanks," Martha said, still staring at the sky.

"Then I shall bid you goodnight," Mr. Smith said, still looking at Clara.

He gave a backwards glance to her as he then walked back towards the school with Matron Redfern.

"He's sweet on you," Jenny said with a smirk.

"Never mind that," Martha said. "Jenny, where was that? On the horizon, where the light was headed?"

"That's by Cooper's Field," Jenny said.

"C'mon, Clara," Martha said, and the two of them started running in the same direction as the light landed.

"You two can't just run off! It's dark, you'll break a leg!" Jenny called after them.

Martha and Clara headed through the woods and Jenny caught up to them as they stopped. They were in a clearing, but there was nothing there.

"There y'are...Nothing there," Jenny said breathlessly. "I told you both so."

"And that's Cooper's Field?" Martha asked.

"As far as the eye can see, and no falling star," Jenny said. "Now come on, I'm frozen to the bone, let's go. As your Mr. Smith says, 'Nothing to see'."

"It doesn't feel right," Clara said, as Jenny turned to walk away.

"I know," Martha said, looking back again before following Jenny.

Matron Redfern was already back by the time Clara got back to the infirmary.

"Up early tomorrow, Miss Tyler," Matron Redfern said.

"Yes, ma'am," Clara said, before turning in for the night.

The next morning, after doing her rounds with Matron Redfern, Clara met up with Martha and they both rode bikes towards the barn, like they did every week. Clara smiled and rubbed the side of the TARDIS, after they had closed the barn door. Martha pulled out her TARDIS key and unlocked the door and they both entered.

"Hello," Martha said, then shook her head. "I'm talking to a machine..."

"She can probably hear you," Clara said, touching the console. She sat on the pilot's seat, content just to do nothing in the TARDIS, for once.

She caught sight of the chameleon arch hanging down still and shivered. She could still hear the Doctor's screaming echoing around in her head.

Martha went over to the monitor and turned on the recording that the Doctor had made before he had turned himself human.

"This working?" the Doctor asked, tapping the camera.

"Yeah, it is, now stop hitting it," Clara's voice was heard in the background.

In real time, Clara closed her eyes, knowing what he was going to say.

"Martha, Clara, before I change, here's a list of instructions for when I'm human. One, don't let me hurt anyone. We can't have that, but you both know what humans are like," the recording said.

Clara snorted at the offensive remark. She knew he didn't mean it like that, but that was just the Doctor.

"Two, don't worry about the TARDIS. I'll put it on emergency power so they can't detect it, just let it hide away. Four—no, wait a minute, three. No getting involved in big historical events. Four—you two. Don't let me abandon either of you. And fi-" the recording said, but Martha sped through the list.

"But there was a meteor, a shooting star—what are we supposed to do then?" Martha said out loud.

"And twenty three. If anything goes wrong, if they find us, Martha, Clara, then you know what to do. Open the watch. Everything I am is kept safe in there. Now, I've put a perception filter on it so the human me won't think anything of it, to him, it's just a watch. But neither of you open it unless you have to. Because once it's open, then the Family will be able to find me. It's all down to you, Martha and Clara. Your choice."

"That doesn't really help," Clara said, opening her eyes.

"Oh, and—thank you," the Doctor said. "Both of you. And I love you, Clara."

"Yeah, and so does the human you, apparently," Martha said. "I wish you'd come back."

Clara sighed as they locked the TARDIS back up and headed back to the school. Taking off her coat, she literally ran into Mr. Smith.

"Oh, sorry," she said, as he caught her arm and straightened her.

"Oh, my fault entirely," he said, walking with her. They reached his room. "Would you like to come in?"

"Oh, um, thank you," Clara said, as he led her in.

She wasn't sure how, but the conversation started and led to Mr. Smith drawing a picture of her in his book.

"Alright, you've had your time. Let me see," Clara said, smiling.

He sat down next to her and showed her the picture.

"There you go," he said.

"Oh, wow," she said, amazed at his skills at drawing. "May I have it?"

"Of course," he said, delighted.

"Is that what I really look like?" she asked, looking at the picture of herself. She looked like she fit right in with the time period. She looked at the picture of the Slitheen on the opposite page and said, "Are you sure that I don't look like that?"

"Oh, quite sure," he said. "It's definitely this page."

"You did something to the drawing. It's too pretty to be me," she said.

"Well, that's how I see you," he said.

Clara squirmed, slightly uncomfortable. She knew that he wasn't the Doctor, but he still looked, and on occasion, acted like the Doctor.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah," she said. "Sorry. This is all a bit new to me."

"It is to me as well," he said, tucking a red curl behind her ear. He slowly leaned forward and Clara paused, before leaning forward as well. Clara had a shiver as he kissed her. His kiss felt the same as the Doctor's. Exactly the same.

"I've never, um..." Mr. Smith said, before kissing her again.

Clara flushed as the door opened and Martha entered.

"Martha, what have I told you about entering unannounced?" Mr. Smith asked.

Clara gave Martha an apologetic look as she went back outside and closed the door.

"I'm sorry, I should go, John," Clara said, standing. "Matron Redfern will be looking for me."

"Are you sure, Clara?" he asked.

"Yes, I really should go," she said, standing and edging to the door. "Goodbye, John."

She met Martha outside.

"I don't know what to do," she said to Martha, tears gathering in her eyes. "He's not the Doctor, but he looks like him. What happens when he needs to change back?"

"I dunno," Martha said.

"We need to go to the box," Clara said, hinting to the TARDIS. "I need to find something to wear for tonight."

"Alright, yeah," Martha said, as the two went out to the barn again. In the wardrobe, Clara found a dress to wear that was appropriate for the time period.

"Very pretty," Martha said.

"Are you sure you can't go?" Clara asked her.

"Hello, maid," Martha said.

"Sorry," Clara said.

"Let's head back to the school," Martha said.

"I just hope there'll be no running tonight," Clara said, looking at her heels she had put on.

Still unsure about the whole human Doctor thing, Clara still met up with him for the dance. She loved his bow tie that he was wearing.

"You look wonderful," Mr. Smith said, looking at her.

"Can you even dance?" Clara asked. "I would really like to keep my feet," she joked.

"Um...I'm not certain..." Mr. Smith said, thinking about it.

"Are you actually certain about anything?" Clara teased. That was something he had in common with the Doctor.

"Yes," he said, looking at her. "Yes."

She flushed as he kissed her again. They broke apart quickly as Martha burst into the room.

"They've found us," Martha said.

"Are you sure?" Clara asked, eyes wide.

"Martha, I've warned you," Mr. Smith said.

"They've found us, and I've seen them—they look like people, like us, like normal. I'm sorry, but you've got to open the watch," Martha said.

She went over to the mantle place where the watch was last, then spun around.

"Where is it?" Martha asked.

"It was there last I saw," Clara said.

"Oh, my gosh, where's it gone? Where's the watch?" Martha exclaimed.

"What are you two talking about?" Mr. Smith asked, looking at Clara in confusion.

"You had a watch, a fob watch. Right there!" Martha said.

"Did I? I don't remember," Mr. Smith said.

"You did, John," Clara said, not really comfortable calling him that. He would always be the Doctor to her.

"We need it...oh, my gosh, Doctor, we're hiding from aliens, and they've got Jenny and they've...possessed her or copied her or something and you've got to tell me, where's the watch?" Martha asked.

"You've got to think," Clara said gently.

"Oh, I see...Cultural differences," Mr. Smith said, and picked up his journal that Matron Redfern had returned earlier. "It must be so confusing for you. Martha, this is what we call a story."

"Oh, you complete...THIS is not you," Martha said, gesturing to Mr. Smith. "THIS is 1913."

"Good," Mr. Smith said. "This IS 1913."

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, but I've got to snap you out of this," Martha said, then slapped Mr. Smith.

"Martha! That's not gonna help anything!" Clara exclaimed.

"Wake up!" Martha shouted at Mr. Smith. "You're coming back to the TARDIS with us!"

"The TARDIS isn't going to do anything," Clara said. "We need the watch."

"How dare you!" Mr. Smith said, as Martha had tried to drag him off. "I'm not going with an insane servant! Martha, you are dismissed, you will leave these premises immediately. Not, get out!"

He took Martha's hand and drug her to the door and threw her out.

"Nerve of it, absolute cheek!" Mr. Smith exclaimed. "You think I'm a fantasist, what about her?"

"John, she's only trying to help," Clara said. "But she's right. You did have a watch on the mantlepiece. Don't you remember?"

She knew he didn't, due to the perception filter on the watch itself.

"Enough of the subject," Mr. Smith said. "Shall I escort you to the village?"

He held out his arm and Clara took it, after letting out a quiet sigh. Taking her wrap and putting it on, Clara let Mr. Smith escort her to the village hall where the dance was.

"You can't blame Martha," Clara said. "She was only protecting you and trying to help. You are a dangerous man, after all," she said, smiling.

"You've taken my arm in public," Mr. Smith said.

"Of course I have," Clara said. "I know you can protect me."

They both laughed.

"Spare a penny for the veterans of the Crimea, sir?" a man asked.

"Yes, of course," Mr. Smith said, and pulled a couple of coins out of his pocket. "There you are."

They went in the hall, which was already full of people.

"Would you care for a drink?" Mr. Smith asked.

"Oh, thank you," Clara said, as he left her at a table.

After he returned and they finished their drinks, the announcer said, "Ladies and gentlemen! Please take your partners for a waltz."

"May I have this dance?" Mr. Smith asked and Clara took his outstretched hand. They took their places and started to dance as the music started.

"So, you can dance after all," Clara said, with a slight smirk.

"I've surprised myself," Mr. Smith said. They then bumped into another couple. "Sorry."

After their dance, Clara sat at the table again, as Mr. Smith once again went off for drinks. Martha appeared through the crowd and sat at the table.

"Are they really here, Martha?" Clara asked, spotting Mr. Smith through the crowd.

"Yeah," Martha said.

"So, what do we do now?" Clara said. "He said to open the watch when they found us, but the watch is missing!"

"I know," Martha said.

"I think finding the watch should be our first priority. I'll keep an eye on Mr. Smith so he doesn't do anything stupid," Clara said. "You know how the Doctor is."

Mr. Smith then appeared at the table, holding two drinks.

"Oh, now really, Martha," he said. "This is getting out of hand. I must insist that you leave."

Martha pulled the Doctor's sonic screwdriver out of her pocket and held it out to him.

"Do you know what this is?" Martha asked. "Name it. Go on, name it."

Clara watched him apprehensively as he slowly took the screwdriver from Martha and turned it over in his hands.

"You're not John Smith. You're called the Doctor. The man in your journal, he's real. He's you," Martha said.

"Martha, they're here," Clara said, as people started shrieking and panicking.

"I said silence!" a voice roared.

"Mr. Clarke! What's going on?" the announcer asked.

Mr. Clarke turned and fired a gun at the announcer, dissolving him into dust.

"Mr. Smith, everything I told you, just forget it! Don't say anything," Martha said.

"I'll watch him," Clara said.

"We asked for silence! Now, then. We have a few questions for Mr. Smith," the boy named Baines said. Clara had never liked him. Every time he came into the infirmary, he had harassed her.

"No, better than that," a little girl said. "The teacher. He's the Doctor. I heard them talking."

Clara glanced at Martha out of the corner of her eyes.

"You took human form," Baines said.

"Of course I'm human, I was born human!" Mr. Smith said. "As were you, Baines. And Jenny, and you, Mr. Clarke! What is going on, this is madness!"

"And a human brain, too!" Baines said. "Simple, thick and dull."

"He's no good like this," Jenny said. Clara was sad to see that she was involved in all of this. She was such a nice girl.

"We need a Time Lord," Mr. Clarke said.

"Easily done," Baines said.

"Not gonna happen," Clara said, standing in front of Mr. Smith as Baines pulled his gun on him. Mr. Smith tried to pull Clara out of the way, but she stood her ground, hands on her hips.

"Change back," Baines said.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mr. Smith said, still trying to get Clara behind him.

"Change back!" Baines yelled.

"I literally do not know-" Mr. Smith started to shout before Jenny grabbed Martha and held a gun to her head.

"No, don't!" Clara said firmly. "You'll never get the Doctor if you do that."

"Get off me!" Martha said.

"She's your friend, isn't she?" Jenny asked Mr. Smith. "Doesn't this scare you enough to change back?"

"I don't know what you mean!" Mr. Smith said.

"Wait a minute...The maid told me about Smith and the nurse...that woman, there!" Jenny said, pointing at Clara.

"Let's have you!" Mr. Clarke said.

"Don't touch me!" Clara yelled, as Mr. Clarke grabbed her and used her as a hostage.

"Have you enjoyed it, Doctor?" Baines asked. "Being human? Has it taught you wonderful things, are you better, richer, wiser? Then let's see you answer this. Which one of them do you want us to kill? Maid or nurse? Your friend—or your lover? Your choice."

Clara struggled, determined to get free, but had no such luck. The look on Mr. Smith's face was one of confusion and struggle. Clara started to feel scared as the gun was pressed even more firmly to her temple.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	37. Family of Blood

**Family of Blood**

"Make your decision, Mr. Smith," Jenny said.

"Perhaps is that human heart breaks, the Time Lord will emerge," Baines said.

"You won't touch him!" Clara said, still trying to break away from Mr. Clarke.

"It's him!" Baines suddenly exclaimed.

Martha was able to break away from Jenny, taking her gun and holding it out.

"One more move and I shoot," Martha said.

"Oh, the maid is _full_ of fire!" Baines said.

"And you can shut up!" Martha said, firing the gun into the ceiling.

"Careful, Son of Mine," Mr. Clarke said, holding Clara even tighter than before. "This is all for you so that you can live forever."

"Shoot you down!" Baines said.

"Try it," Martha said. "We'll die together."

"Would you really pull the trigger? Looks too scared," Baines said.

"Scared and holding a gun," Martha said. "It's a good combination. You wanna risk it?"

Baines looked at Mr. Smith, then Mr. Clarke let Clara go. She jerked away from him and stood by Mr. Smith.

"Doctor, get everyone out," Martha said. "Clara, you help. There's a door at the side. It's over there. Go on!"

Mr. Smith just stood there.

"Do it, Mr. Smith. I mean you!" Martha said.

"Come on, John," Clara said. "We need to get these people to safety. Everyone out!"

All the villagers left the hall through the door, screaming.

"And you," Martha said. "Go on. Just shift."

"What about you?" Mr. Smith asked.

"Mr. Smith, I think you should Clara to safety, don't you?" Martha said, looking at Clara.

"You'll be alright, then?" Clara asked Martha.

"Just fine," Martha said, looking determined, still holding the gun.

Clara nodded at her, then joined Mr. Smith outside.

"Mr. Hicks, go to the village," he said. "Get everyone out. Latimer, get back to the school. Tell the headmaster-"

"Don't touch me! You're as bad as them!" Latimer said, running off.

"John, we need to move," Clara said.

"What about Martha?" he asked.

"She can take care of herself! Now move!" Clara said.

Martha then joined them outside, running.

"Don't just stand there, move! You're rubbish as a human!" Martha said. "Come on!"

Clara had a sense of deja vu as Mr. Smith took her hand as they ran. The family were firing their guns at them as they were running away.

As soon as they had made it back to the school, Mr. Smith immediately started ringing a bell that called the boys to fight.

"What're you doing?" Martha asked.

"Maybe one man can't fight them, but this school teaches us to stand together. Take arms! Take arms!" he said, as he shouted the last part.

"You can't do that!" Martha said.

"You want me to fight, don't you? Take arms! Take arms?" Mr. Smith said.

"Not like this," Clara said. "We NEED that watch."

"I say, sir, what's the matter?" one of the boys asked, as all of the boys began rushing down the stairs.

"Enemy at the door, Hutchinson. Enemy at the door. Take arms!" Mr. Smith said.

"This isn't right," Clara said, as the boys began to load machine guns and other rifles.

"You can't do this, Doctor! Mr. Smith!" Martha exclaimed.

"Maintain position over the stable yard," Mr. Smith said to the boys, ignoring Martha.

"They're just boys! You can't ask them to fight!" Martha said.

"Faster now, that's it!" Mr. Smith said.

"They don't stand a chance!" Martha insisted.

"They're cadets, Miss Jones," Mr. Smith said. "They are trained to defend the King and his properties."

The headmaster then burst into the room, along with Matron Redfern. Matron Redfern came straight to Clara and required her help in the infirmary.

"What in thunder's name is this?" the headmaster asked. "Before I devise an excellent and endless series of punishments for each and every one of you, could someone explain very simple and immediately exactly what is going on?"

"Headmaster, I have to report the school is under attack," Mr. Smith said.

"Really? Is that so? Perhaps you and I should have a word in private," the headmaster said.

"I promise you, sir. I was in the village with Nurse Tyler. It's Baines, sir. Jeremy Baines and Mr. Clarke from Oakham Farm. They've gone mad, sir. They've got guns. They've already murdered people in the village. I saw it happen," Mr. Smith said.

"Nurse Tyler, is that so?" the headmaster asked.

"Yes, sir," Clara said.

"Matron?" the headmaster asked.

"I'm afraid it's true, sir," Matron Redfern said, who was at the dance as well.

"Murder on our own soil?" the headmaster asked.

"I saw it, yes," Matron Redfern said.

"Several people, sir," Clara said.

"Perhaps you did well then, Mr. Smith. What makes you think the danger's coming here?" the headmaster asked.

"Well, sir, they said, um..." Mr. Smith said.

"Mr. Baines threatened to harm Mr. Smith, sir," Clara said. "They want him for some reason, and they said they'd follow him."

"We don't know why," Matron Redfern said.

"Very well," the headmaster said. "You boys, remain on guard. Mr. Snell, telephone the police. Mr. Philips, with me. We shall investigate."

Martha stood in front of the headmaster to stop him.

"No, it's not safe out there," she said.

"Mr. Smith, it seems your favorite servant is giving me advice. You will control her, sir," the headmaster said, then left.

"I've gotta find that watch," Martha said, sighing. She left and Clara went with her, with Matron Redfern followed after them. Martha led them to Mr. Smith's room, where they all started searching for the watch, even though Clara was sure Matron Redfern didn't really know what they were doing.

"I know it sounds mad, but when the Doctor became human, he took the alien part of himself and stored it inside the watch. It's not really a watch, it just looks like a watch," Martha explained to Matron Redfern.

"And alien means...not from abroad, I take it," Matron Redfern said.

"The man you call John Smith...he was born on another world," Martha said.

"A different planet," Clara added.

"A different species, then," Matron Redfern said.

"Yeah," Martha said.

"Then tell me, in this fairy tale...who are the both of you?" Matron Redfern asked.

"Just a friend," Martha said. "Just his friend. She's more than that, though."

"You're both human, I take it?" Matron Redfern asked.

"Human, don't worry, and more than that, we just don't follow him around," Martha said. "Well, I don't, anyways."

"I have for a while," Clara said.

"I'm training to be a doctor—not an alien doctor—a proper doctor, a doctor of medicine," Martha said.

"Well, that certainly is nonsense," Matron Redfern said. "Women might train to be doctors, but hardly a skivvy and hardly one of your colour."

"Bit rude," Clara scoffed.

"Oh, d'you think?" Martha said to both Clara and Matron Redfern. She then thought for a second, then held up her hand. "Bones of the hand. Carpal bones, proximal row: scaphoid, lunate, triquetrum, pisiform. Distal row: trapezium, trapezoid, capitate, hamate. Then, the metecarpal bones extending in three distinct phalanges: proximal, middle, distal."

"Quite a mouthful," Clara muttered.

"You read that in a book," Matron Redfern said, still not believing it.

"Yes, to pass my exams!" Martha said with a laugh. "Can't you see this is true?"

"I must go," Matron Redfern said, heading for the door. "Miss Tyler?"

"Sorry, I'm needed here," Clara said. "Plus, I'm not really a nurse."

"If we find that watch, we can stop them," Martha said.

"Those boys are going to fight," Matron Redfern said. "I might not be a doctor, but I'm still their nurse. They need me."

"At least she's out of the way," Clara said, after she had left.

They continued to search the room together, but it was no use; the watch was gone. Martha screamed in frustration, and threw papers into the air before the two of them ran out of the room. They found Matron Redfern at a window, watching the action outside.

The little girl with the balloon approached all the boys outside, and so Martha and Clara went outside as well.

"You, child, come out of the way," the headmaster said. "Come into the school. You don't know who's out there. It's the Cartwright girl, isn't it? Come here. Come to me."

"Mr. Rocastle, please," Martha pleaded. "Don't go near her."

"You were told to be quiet," the headmaster said.

"Listen to me, she's part of it! Clara, Matron, tell him," Martha said, as Matron Redfern had followed them outside.

"It's true, sir," Clara said. "She was with Baines and Mr. Clarke."

"I think—I don't know," Matron Redfern said. "I think you should stay back, Headmaster."

"Mr. Smith," Martha said.

"She was—she was with—with Baines in the village," Mr. Smith said.

"Mr. Smith, I've seen many strange sights this night, but there is no cause on God's earth that would allow me to see this child in the field of battle, sir," the Headmaster said, then turned to Lucy Cartwright. "Come to me."

"You're funny," Lucy said.

"That's right," the Headmaster said. "Now, take my hand."

"Sir, please don't-" Clara started.

"So funny," Lucy said, taking out a gun and then shot the Headmaster, dissolving him. "Now, who's going to shoot me—any of you, _really_?"

"Put down your guns," Mr. Smith said, lowering his own rifle.

"But, sir, the Headmaster-" Hutchinson started.

"I'll not see this happen," Mr. Smith said. "Not anymore. You will retreat...in an orderly fashion back through the school. Hutchinson, lead the way."

"But, sir-" Hutchinson said.

"I said, lead the way," Mr. Smith said, then Baines arrived.

"Go on, then, run!" he shouted, firing his gun into the air.

There was a sudden panic as all the boys started to scramble to get back into the school. Clara got separated from Martha for a moment, until she grabbed Clara's arm.

"Come on!" Martha said, pulling Clara towards the school.

Mr. Smith, Matron Redfern, Martha, and Clara helped to get the boys outside through the stables.

"Hurry, hurry," Clara said.

"Let's go! Quick as you can!" Mr. Smith said.

"Don't go to the village! It's not safe!" Martha said.

"And you, ladies!" Mr. Smith said.

"I'm not going anywhere," Clara said.

"Not until we get the boys out," Matron Redfern said.

Martha, Clara, and Matron Redfern went back inside the school to make sure all the boys were out safely.

Mr. Smith came back in and said, "Now, I insist. The three of you just go. If there are any more boys inside, I'll find them."

He opened the door that they had just sent the boys out and found a bunch of scarecrows. He then slammed it shut and locked it.

"I think...retreat," he said, and they all ran.

The four of them made it to the woods, where they ducked down behind some bushes as they heard Mr. Clarke call out, "Doctor! Doctor!"

"No, they have the TARDIS," Clara groaned.

"Come back, Doctor," Mr. Clarke called. "Come home. Come and claim your prize."

"Out you come, Doctor! There's a good boy," Baines called out. "Come to the Family."

"Time to end it now!" Jenny said.

"You recognize it, don't you?" Martha asked softly.

"Come out, Doctor! Come to us!" Jenny said.

"I've never seen it in my life," Mr. Smith said.

"Do you remember its name?" Martha asked.

"I'm sorry, John, but you wrote about it," Matron Redfern said. "The blue box. You dreamt of a blue box."

"I'm not—I'm John Smith," Mr. Smith said, his voice broke. "That's all I want to be. John Smith, with his life...and his job...and his love. Why can't I be John Smith? Isn't he a good man?"

"He is a very good man," Clara said.

"Why can't I stay?" he asked.

"But we need the Doctor," Martha said.

"So what am I then, nothing?" Mr. Smith asked. "I'm just a story."

He then ran off with Clara following right after him. They all ran down a country road, Clara's feet killing her from the shoes she was still wearing from the dance.

"This way," Matron Redfern said. "I think I know somewhere we can hide."

"We've got to keep going," Mr. Smith said.

"Just listen to me for once, John," Matron Redfern said. "Follow me."

Clara followed after her as soon as Martha did. Mr. Smith paused for a moment before following after all the women. They arrived at a dark house, all of them breathing heavily. Clara hadn't done so much running since being in 1913 for the past three months.

"Here we are," Matron Redfern said. "It should be empty. Oh, it's a long time since I've run that far."

"But who lives here?" Martha asked.

"If I'm right, no one," Matron Redfern said.

Clara followed Matron Redfern cautiously through the front door and into the dark house.

"Hello?" Matron Redfern called out. "No one home. We should be safe here."

"Whose house is it, though?" Martha asked.

"Um, the Cartwrights," Matron Redfern said. "That little girl at the school—she's taken Lucy Cartwright's form. If she came home this afternoon and if the parents tried to stop their little girl, then they were vanished. Stone cold. How easily I accept these ideas."

"It's not that hard," Clara said.

Mr. Smith sat down on one of the chairs at the table and said, "I must go to them before anyone else dies."

"You can't," Matron Redfern said. "Martha, Clara, there must be something we can do."

"Not without the watch," Martha said, shaking her head.

"Which is still missing," Clara said.

"You're both the Doctor's companions!" Mr. Smith exclaimed, finally losing it. "Can't you help? What exactly do either of you do for him? Why does he need either of you?"

"Because he's lonely," Martha said.

"He needs someone with him," Clara said.

"And that's what you want me to become," Mr. Smith said, then Clara jumped at the sound of a knock at the door.

"What if it's them?" Matron Redfern asked.

"I'm not an expert, but I don't think scarecrows knock," Martha said.

"And if it was the Family, they'd just blow open the door," Clara added.

Martha walked over to the door and opened it to reveal Latimer.

"I brought you this," Latimer said, holding out the watch.

"Oh, my gosh! We finally have it!" Clara said.

Martha took the watch and held it out to Mr. Smith.

"Hold it," Martha said.

"I won't," he said.

"Please, just hold it," Martha said.

"It told me to find you," Latimer said. "It wants to be held."

"You've had this watch all this time?" Nurse Redfern asked. "Why didn't you return it?"

"Because it was waiting," Latimer said. "And because I was scared of the Doctor."

"Why?" Matron Redfern asked, but Clara understood why.

"Because...I've seen him," Latimer said. "He's...like fire and ice and rage. He's like the night and the storm in the heart of the sun."

"Stop it," Mr. Smith said.

"He's ancient and forever," Latimer said. "He burns at the centre of time and he can see the turn of the universe."

"Stop! I said stop it!" Mr. Smith said.

"And he's wonderful," Latimer said.

"That's the Doctor," Clara said, smiling slightly.

Matron Redfern reached into her pocket and pulled out Mr. Smith's journal.

"I've still got this," she said. "The journal."

"Those are just stories," Mr. Smith insisted.

"Now we know that's not true," Matron Redfern said. "Perhaps there's something in here."

There was a suddenly explosion outside and they all started.

"What the hell?" Martha asked.

Clara went to the window to find the village exploding.

"They're destroying the village," Matron Redfern said.

"Watch," Mr. Smith said softly, then picked it up.

"John, don't," Matron Redfern said.

"Can you hear it?" Latimer asked.

"I think he's asleep," Mr. Smith said. "Waiting to awaken."

"Why did he speak to me?" Latimer asked.

"Oh, low-level telepathic field," the Doctor said in his normal voice. Clara nearly teared up at the sound of it. "You were born with it. Just an extra synaptic engram causing-"

He broke off and inhaled deeply. "Is that how he talks?" Mr. Smith asked.

"That's him!" Martha exclaimed. "All you have to do is open it and he's back."

"You knew this all along and yet you watched Nurse Tyler and I-" Mr. Smith said.

"I didn't know how to stop you!" Martha said, looking to Clara for help. "He gave us a list of things to watch out for but that wasn't included."

"Falling in love? That didn't even occur to him?" Mr. Smith asked.

"Well, Clara was the only one, but no, it didn't," Martha said.

"The what sort of man is that?" Mr. Smith asked. "And now you expect me to die?"

"He's a wonderful man, just like you," Clara said.

"Please, don't," Mr. Smith said to her, looking at her like she betrayed him. Clara's eyes started tearing up and filled with hurt.

"It was always going to end, though!" Martha said. "The Doctor said the Family's got a limited lifespan. That's why they need to consume a Time Lord. Otherwise, three months and they die. Like mayflies, he said."

"So your job was to execute me," Mr. Smith said.

"People are dying out there!" Martha said. "They need him and _I_ need him. 'Cause you've got no idea of what he's like. I've only just met him. It wasn't even that long ago, but he is everything...he's just everything to me and he doesn't even look at me, but I don't care..."

She then gave Clara a very apologetic look.

"...'Cause I love him to bits. And I hope he won't remember me saying this," Martha finished.

"It's getting closer," Latimer said, as the house rocked from the explosions outside.

"I should have thought of it before—I can give them this," Mr. Smith said. "Just the watch. Then they can leave and I can stay as I am!"

"You can't do that!" Martha said.

"It would be very bad," Clara said.

"If they want the Doctor, they can have him," Mr. Smith said.

"He'll never let you do it," Martha said.

"If they get what they want, then—then-" Mr. Smith stuttered.

"Then it all ends in destruction," Matron Redfern said, looking up from the journal. "I never read to the end but those creatures would live forever to breed and conquer. War across the stars...for every child."

"It would be total destruction," Clara said, as Mr. Smith looked close to tears. "Martha, Matron, Timothy, could you please leave for a moment?"

Clara comforted Mr. Smith as he finally broke down in sobs after everyone left.

"I'm so sorry," Clara said to him. "I never meant for any of this to happen. For you to have to go through any of this. The Doctor never told us anything of what was to happen."

"How do you know he'll still love you?" Mr. Smith asked her.

"Because I love him so much, and I know that he loves me," Clara said with determination.

"I love you," Mr. Smith said. "Was it real?"

"Of course it was," Clara said, starting to cry. "It just wasn't the same, though. It was a different love. A different person. But it was very real. You can't give the watch to them, though. He wouldn't want that. He spends most of his time protecting the universe, and you'd be destroying it in one go."

She reached over and took the watch from him and they touched hands. She started sobbing at the images she saw in her head. She saw herself getting old with John Smith, something she couldn't do with the Doctor. She saw herself giving birth to his child, something else she was sure she couldn't have with the Doctor, despite her love for him and vice versa. She finally broke down at the sight of John in his bed, old, and on his death bed.

"Everyone sends their love, John. And I love you," an old Clara said, sitting by his bed.

"Thank you, my love," John said, then closed his eyes and died.

"Did you see that?" Mr. Smith asked Clara.

"Yes," Clara said.

"Can he give you that?" Mr. Smith asked.

"Not a life like that," Clara said. "But, I wouldn't have it any other way than with him."

"But I could have a life like that!" Mr. Smith said, looking at the watch again.

"So what are you going to do? Save yourself, or the world and the universe?" Clara asked him.

He didn't answer for the longest time.

"Alright," he said quietly. "Give me the watch."

The building was filled with a golden light as he opened the watch.

"Doctor?" Clara asked cautiously, as the light disappeared.

"Clara," he said, opening his eyes.

"It's you," she said.

"Yeah, it's me," the Doctor said.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm so sorry."

"Nothing we can do now," the Doctor said, hugging her. "You stay here. I'm gonna take care of this."

He still had the watch and strode out the door, leaving Clara sitting there, wiping her eyes. Martha then came in and hugged her.

"I'm sorry," Martha said. "I didn't want you to know. I only said it to get him to change."

"It's fine," Clara said. "Should we go back for the TARDIS and wait?"

"Yeah," Martha said.

Clara changed her clothes, happy to be in her normal jeans and t-shirt, as well as flat shoes. The Doctor returned with the Family and left Clara and Martha waiting while he took care of them.

After he returned, he told them that he needed to speak with Matron Redfern for a moment and left Martha and Clara waiting with the TARDIS.

"All right," he said, strolling back up to them. "Molto bene!"

"How was she?" Martha asked.

"Time we moved on," the Doctor said.

"If you want, Clara or I could go and-" Martha said.

"Time we moved on," the Doctor insisted.

The Doctor took Clara's hand and squeezed it. She hugged his arm, happy to have him back.

"I meant to say back there, last night—I would have said anything to get you to change," Martha said.

"Oh, yeah, of course you would," the Doctor said. "Yeah."

"Sorry," Martha said to Clara.

"It's fine," Clara said, waving her hand.

"I mean, I wasn't really-" Martha said.

"Oh, no, no," the Doctor said.

"Good," Martha said.

"Fine," the Doctor said.

"So, here we are then," Martha said.

"There we are, yes," the Doctor said, and Martha nodded. "And I never said thanks for lookin' after me," he said, letting go of Clara's hand and wrapped Martha in a big hug. "Both of you."

"Doctor, Martha, Clara," Latimer said from behind them.

"Tim-Timothy-Timber," the Doctor said.

"I just wanted to say good-bye," Latimer said. "And thank you, because I've seen the future and I now know what must be done. It's coming, isn't it. The biggest war ever."

"You don't have to fight," Martha said.

"I think we do," Latimer said.

"But you could get hurt," Martha said.

"Well, so could you two, traveling around with him, but it's not going to stop you," Latimer said.

"Nope, it won't," Clara said, taking the Doctor's hand again.

"Tim, I'd be honoured if you'd take this," the Doctor said, giving Latimer the watch.

"I can't hear anything," Latimer said.

"No, it's just a watch now," the Doctor said. "But keep it with you. For good luck."

"Look after yourself," Martha said to Latimer, hugging him.

"Don't get into too much trouble," Clara said, also hugging him.

"You'll like this bit," the Doctor said, pulling Clara into the TARDIS with him, after Martha. He set the TARDIS to dematerialize and Clara could just imagine the look on Latimer's face. They landed outside of a service being held in memory of the fallen soldiers from World War I. Clara and Martha already had poppies attached to their jackets and Martha was attaching one on the Doctor's jacket.

Clara smiled as the older Latimer in his wheelchair looked over at them.


	38. Blink

**Blink**

"What are we doing here?" Clara asked as they stepped out of the TARDIS to find a very old house in front of them.

"I dunno," the Doctor said. "It was like something pulled us here."

"Ugly garden," Clara said, looking at all the weeds and the big angel statue sitting in it.

"Well, c'mon, let's go take a look," the Doctor said, taking Clara's hand.

Not twenty minutes later, Clara was stuck at the house on her own, panicking, keeping her eyes forward, not blinking. The statues had come to life, they had realized, and had made the Doctor and Martha vanish. They had also gotten hold of Clara's TARDIS key in the process and were now heading for the police box, but Clara was trying to prevent it.

Knowing there were at least four of them, she kept her eyes on them, while backing away to the front door. She noticed the letter tucked in the paneling of the door frame out of the corner of her eyes, but didn't take her eyes off the Angels as she reached for it.

Not knowing how to fly the TARDIS, she was stuck on her own in the middle of London. She had to abandon the TARDIS as she ran off of the property. Only when she was safely away from the house did she read the letter. It was from the Doctor and it was dated from 1969.

"Seriously?" she muttered to herself.

The letter wasn't really detailed, but it told her to find a woman named Sally Sparrow, who would help her get the TARDIS back to the Doctor and Martha. Clara folded up the letter and sighed. She was smack-bang in the middle of London with no job, no place to stay, and no Doctor. This was going to take forever...

**Two months later...**

Clara leaned against the wall by the gate as she watched the woman jump the fence to the house that the Doctor had disappeared in. She figured this had to be the mysterious Sally Sparrow that the Doctor had mentioned in his letter.

Clara waited in the dark, keeping an eye out for the Angels, all while looking for Sally to come back out. Sally finally came out, looking very spooked.

"Hello, Sally Sparrow," Clara said, stepping into her path.

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" Sally asked.

"The Doctor," Clara said.

"Okay, very funny," Sally said, starting to walk away.

"This isn't a joke," Clara insisted. She took out a piece of paper and wrote her mobile number on it. "When you feel lost and need help, give me a ring."

Clara then turned and walked away, with a very confused Sally standing behind her. She went back to her very small flat that she had by working in a clothes shop, just like Rose had. She was so bored with the same old routine.

Finding Sally that night had been the first thing that had really happened to her in the past two months. She had spent every evening at that house, just waiting for Sally Sparrow to show up.

She showed up at the house early the next morning, knowing that Sally's curiosity would get the best of her. She showed up a half hour later with a friend.

Clara was very nearly bored until an hour later, Sally came out of the gate by herself, carrying a letter. Clara noticed all the Weeping Angels in the windows of the houses and shuddered.

"Sally?" she called out.

"Leave me alone!" Sally practically screamed out and rushed off.

Clara sighed. This was going to be a lot harder than she had originally thought. The TARDIS was now gone. The police had taken custody of it and it was now in impound. Kind of funny when you actually thought about it.

She knew it was very stalkerish of her, but she followed Sally from the house to a cafe. Sally didn't stay at the cafe long before she went to a cemetery in town. Clara saw the Weeping Angel watching Sally and kept her eyes on it as Sally visited a grave.

Clara barely slipped out of sight as Sally left the graveyard. Keeping her eyes on the Angel, Clara then left the cemetery and followed Sally to a DVD store on Queen Street.

She kept her coat bundled close to her as it started to rain. Sally finally exited the video store with a determined expression on her face.

"No, no," Clara groaned, as Sally went into the police station. "They'll think you're mad."

She waited until Sally had been inside for a while before she then entered the police station.

"Hi, there," she said to the officer on duty. "My friend had just come inn asking about the Wester Drumlins House? Can you tell me where she went?"

"Down in impound, love," the officer said.

"Thanks very much," Clara said.

She went down to impound and found it empty of anyone. There was a garage-looking door that was busted open and the rain and wind was blowing in. She also noticed that the TARDIS was missing from the impound. Sally came rushing back in, looking around.

"Are you ready to accept my help yet?" Clara asked her.

"Who are you?" Sally asked, looking at her.

"My name is Clara Tyler. I'm with the Doctor, but he's trapped in 1969 and he needs the blue box," Clara said.

"What did you do to Billy?" Sally asked.

"Billy? Who's Billy?" Clara asked, confused.

"Billy Shipton," Sally said. "DI Shipton? He was just here."

"The Angels must've gotten him," Clara said. "That explains why the TARDIS is gone."

"TARDIS?" Sally asked.

"The blue box," Clara said.

Sally's mobile rang then.

"Hello?" Sally answered it. "Billy, where are you? Where?"

"I'm so sorry, Sally," Clara said, as Sally paused outside of the hospital. Clara had figured out what had happened to Billy as soon as Sally had said he had disappeared. Now, they were at the hospital to meet Billy.

"Billy?" Sally asked, approaching the bed.

Clara sat on the bed across from Billy's while Sally stood at the window.

"It was raining when we met," said the old man in the bed.

"It's the same rain," Sally said.

"Is Clara with you?" Billy asked.

"I'm here," Clara said, walking to his bed.

"The Doctor said you'd be here," Billy said.

"You met him?" Clara asked.

"Yes, in 1969," Billy said. "He said to give you a message."

"What is it?" Clara asked.

"He said be patient and he'll see you soon," Billy said.

"Thank you, Billy," Clara said, kissing his cheek. She went back to the empty bed and sat on it.

Billy was showing Sally a picture of his wedding day.

"She looks nice," Sally said.

"Her name was Sally, too," Billy said. Clara smiled slightly.

"Sally Shipton," Sally said, with a smile.

"Sally Shipton!" Billy said. "I often thought about looking for you before tonight, but apparently it would've torn a hole in the fabric of space and time and destroyed two thirds of the universe. Also, I'd lost my hair."

Clara smirked at the description that the Doctor had given Billy.

"Two thirds of the universe," Sally repeated. "Where'd you get that?"

"There's a man in 1969," Billy said. "He sent me with a message for you."

"What man?" Sally asked.

"The Doctor," Billy said.

"And what was the message?" Sally asked.

"Just this," Billy said. "Look at the list."

"What does that mean? Is that it, look at the list?" Sally asked.

"He said you'd have it by now," Billy said. "A list of seventeen DVDs. I didn't stay a policeman back then. Got into publishing. Then video publishing. Then DVDs, of course."

"You put the Easter Egg on?" Sally asked.

"Easter Egg?" Clara muttered to herself, wondering what it was all about.

"Have you noticed what all seventeen DVDs have in common yet? I suppose it's hard for you, in a way," Billy said.

"How could the Doctor have even known I had a list?" Sally asked "I only just got this."

"I asked him how, but he said he couldn't tell me," Billy said. "He said you'd understand it one day, but that I never would."

"That's how he works," Clara said.

"Soon as I understand it, I'll come and tell you," Sally said.

"No, gorgeous girl, you can't," Billy said. "There's only tonight. He told me all those years ago that we'd only meet again this one time. On the night I die."

Clara was a bit shocked that the Doctor would tell someone that. That was a bit like cheating, telling someone when they're going to die.

"Oh, Billy," Sally said.

"It's kept me going," Billy said. "I'm an old, sick man. But I've had something to look forward to. Ah, life is long and you are hot. Oh, look at my hands. They're old man's hands. How did that happen?"

"I'll stay," Sally said, glancing at Clara, who nodded. "I'm going to stay with you. Okay?"

"Thank you, Sally Sparrow," Billy said. "I have 'til the rain stops."

"I'll stay as well, Billy," Clara said, getting up and taking his hand. "I know it's what the Doctor would do if he was here." 

"What do we do now?" Sally asked, after the room had been cleared out. The rain was done now, everything wet.

"I think you should take a look at that list," Clara said.

Sally took it out of her pocket and looked at it.

"Wait a minute," she said. "I own these movies."

"And there we go," Clara said. "Let's go."

As they left the hospital, Sally got on her mobile and called Larry Nightingale.

"They're mine," Sally said. "The DVDs on the list. The seventeen DVDs. What they've got in common is me. They're all the DVDs I own. The Easter Egg was intended for me!"

Clara snorted as she heard the answer from the other end.

"You've only got seventeen DVDs?" Larry asked.

"That's all he got out of that?" Clara wondered out loud.

"Do you have a portable DVD player?" Sally asked. "I want you to meet me. Wester Drumlins."

Clara was waiting in the living room when Larry showed up at the Wester Drumlins house with his portable DVD player.

"Right, Larry, Clara. Clara, Larry," Sally introduced.

"Hi," Clara said, with a small wave.

"Hi," Larry said, looking a little unsure.

"It's okay," Sally said. "Clara's here to help."

"Right," Larry said, starting to set up his DVD player. "Okay, this is the one with the clearest sound. Slightly better picture quality on this one, but I don't-"

"Doesn't matter," Sally interrupted.

"Okay," Larry said. "There he is."

"The Doctor," Clara whispered, looking at him. She was missing him like crazy. Him and Martha.

"Who's the Doctor?" Larry asked, hearing her.

"He's the Doctor," Sally answered.

"Yep, that's me," the Doctor said on the monitor.

"Okay, that was scary," Sally said.

"No, it sounds like he's replying, but he always says that," Larry said.

Clara smirked. She knew what the Doctor was up to. She shook her head at him, even though he couldn't see her.

"Yes, I do," the Doctor said.

"And that," Larry said.

"Yep, and this," the Doctor said.

Clara stood in the doorway, keeping an eye out for Angels and watching the monitor at the same time. This was almost too funny, the way the Doctor was replying.

"He can hear us," Sally exclaimed. "Oh, my gosh, you can really hear us!"

"Of course he can't hear us," Larry said. "Look! I've got a transcript, see, everything he says. 'Yup, that's me.' 'Yes, I do.' 'Yep, and this.' Next, it's..."

"Are you going to read out the whole thing?" the Doctor and Larry both said at the same time.

"Sorry," Larry said.

"Who are you?" Sally asked.

"I'm a time traveler. Or I was," the Doctor said. "I'm stuck in 1969."

"We're stuck," Martha said, sticking her head in the picture. "All of space and time, he promised me. Now, I've got a job in a shop, I've got to support him!"

"Good old Martha," Clara said, giggling.

"Martha!" the Doctor said.

"Sorry," Martha said, moving out of the picture.

"I've seen this bit before," Sally said.

"Quite possibly," the Doctor said.

"1969, that's where you're talking from?" Sally asked.

"'Fraid so," the Doctor said.

"But you're replying to me," Sally protested. "You can't know exactly what I'm gonna say, 40 years before I say it!"

"38!" the Doctor said.

"I'm getting this down!" Larry said. "I'm writing in your bits."

"And give the boy a prize," Clara said to herself.

"How? How is this possible? Tell me!" Sally demanded.

"Not so fast," Larry said.

"People don't understand time," the Doctor said. "It's not what you think it is."

"Then what is it?" Sally asked.

"Complicated," the Doctor said.

"Tell me," Sally said.

"Very complicated," the Doctor said.

"I'm clever and I'm listening," Sally said. "And don't patronize me because people have died and I'm not happy. Tell me."

"You might want to, Doctor," Clara said, laughing.

"Fine, Clara," the Doctor sighed. "People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff."

"Yeah, I've seen this bit before," Sally said. "You said that sentence got away from you."

"It got away from me, yeah," the Doctor said.

"Next thing you're going to say is, 'Well, I _can_ hear you'," Sally said.

"Well, I _can_ hear you," the Doctor said.

"This isn't possible," Sally said.

"No, it's brilliant!" Larry said.

"Not hear you, exactly, but I know everything you're going to say," the Doctor said.

"Always gives me the shivers, that bit," Larry said.

"How can you know what I'm going to say?" Sally asked.

"Look to your left," the Doctor answered.

"What does he mean by, 'Look to your left?' I've written tons about that on the forums. I think it's a political statement," Larry said.

"He means you," Sally said. "What are you doing?"

"I'm writing in your bits," Larry said. "And anything Clara says. "So I've got a complete transcript of the whole conversation. Wait until this hits the net. This will explode the egg forums."

"I've got a copy of the finished transcript," the Doctor said. "It's on my Autocue."

"How can you have a copy of the finished transcript? It's still being written," Sally said.

"I told you," the Doctor said. "I'm a time traveler. I got it in the future."

"Well, his past, your future," Clara said.

"Okay, let me get my head 'round this," Sally said. "You're reading from a transcript of a conversation you're still having? Wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey. Actually, never mind that. You can do shorthand?" she asked Larry.

"So?" Larry asked.

"What matters is we can communicate," the Doctor said. "We have got big problems now. They've taken the blue box, haven't they? The Angels have the phone box."

"The Angels have the phone box!" Larry said. "That's my favorite. I've got it on a t-shirt!"

"They have the TARDIS, Doctor," Clara said, and Larry wrote it down.

"What do you mean, Angels? You mean those stature things?" Sally asked.

"Creatures from another world," the Doctor said.

"But they're just statues," Sally said.

"Only when you see them," the Doctor said.

"What does that mean?" Sally asked.

"Lonely assassins, they were called," the Doctor said. "No one knows where they came from. They're as old as the universe, or very nearly. They've survived this long as they have the most perfect defense system ever evolved. They are quantum-locked. They don't exist when being observed. The moment they're seen by any other living creature, they freeze into rock. No choice. It's a fact of their biology. In the sight of any living thing, they literally turn to stone. And you can't kill a stone. Course, a stone can't kill you either. But then you turn your head away, then blink, and oh, yes it can!"

"Bit of a ramble," Clara said.

"Don't take your eyes off that," Sally said.

Clara turned for a second and looked at the other doorway that she wasn't watching. There was an Angel in the doorway. She whipped back around to keep an eye on the doorway she was standing in.

"That's why they cover their eyes," the Doctor said. "They're not weeping, they can't risk looking at each other. Their greatest asset is their greatest curse. They can never be seen. The loneliest creatures in the universe. And I'm sorry, I am very, very sorry, it's up to you now."

"What am I supposed to do?" Sally asked, looking to Clara for help.

"The blue box, it's my time machine," the Doctor said. "There is a world of time energy in there they could feast on forever. The damage they can do can switch off the sun. You have to send it back to me!"

"How? How?" Sally asked.

"And that's it, I'm afraid," the Doctor said. There was creaking from upstairs and Clara held her eyes open wide. "There's no more from you on the transcript, that's all I've got. I dunno what stopped you talking, but I can guess. They're coming. The Angels are coming for you. But listen, you life could depend on this. Don't blink! Don't even blink. Blink and you're dead. They are fast, faster than you can believe. Don't turn your back, don't look away, and don't blink! Good luck! Clara, stay safe."

"No, don't, you can't!" Sally exclaimed from behind Clara.

"I'll rewind him!" Larry said.

"What good would that do?!" Sally said. "You're not looking at the statue."

"Neither are you," Larry said.

"Well, someone had better look at it!" Clara said, still watching the other entrance.

"Keep looking at it," Sally said. "Keep looking at it!"

"There's just one, right, there's just this one," Larry said. "We're okay if we keep staring at this one statue, everything's gonna be fine."

"There's three more," Sally said.

"Three?!" Larry said, panicking.

"There we upstairs, I think I heard them moving," Sally said.

"They definitely moved," Clara said.

"Where?" Larry asked. "Three...moving where?"

"I'll look around, I'm going to check," Sally said. "Keep looking at this one, don't blink. Remember what he said, don't even blink!"

"Who blinks? I'm too scared to blink," Larry said.

"Okay," Sally said. "We're going to the door. Front door. Okay. We can't all get to the front door without taking our eyes off that thing. You stay here," she told Larry.

"What?!" Larry asked.

"I'll be just round the corner, stay here!" Sally said. "They've locked it! They've locked us in!"

"Why?" Larry asked.

"I've got something they want," Sally said.

"What?" Larry asked.

"The key, I took it last time I was here," Sally said. "They followed me to get it back. I led them to the blue box. Now they've got that!"

"Give them the key!" Larry said.

"That's actually my key," Clara said. "They can't have it."

Not seeing any Angels in view, Clara turned to help Larry keep an eye on the Angel in the room. Its face was gruesome, twisted into a snarl, with its hands outstretched, looking like claws.

"I'm gonna check the back door, you both wait here," Sally said.

"Give them the key, give them what they want!" Larry said. "Sally, no, what if they come behind me!?"

"I'm here, you idiot!" Clara said.

"Hang on!" Sally yelled. "It's locked!"

Clara was looking at the other entrance and when she looked back, the Angel had moved again.

"Keep looking at it, Larry!" she yelled at him.

"Sally! Sally!" Larry cried.

"It won't open!" Sally said.

"Try the cellar," Clara said.

"Sally, please, I can't do this! Sally, hurry up! Where are you?!" Larry said, still panicking.

"Larry! Clara! They've blocked off the back door, but I'm going to try the cellar. There might be a way out, delivery hatch or something," Sally said.

"Get out, Larry," Clara said. "Follow Sally. I've got your back."

"I'm coming!" Larry cried out to Sally. "I can't stay here."

After Larry had bolted out of the room, Clara had kept her eyes on the Angel and carefully backed out of the room and to the cellar. The Angel followed her all the way to the cellar, where the TARDIS was.

"Oh, and there's your one," Sally said.

"Keep looking at it and give me the key," Clara said.

Sally handed her her key back and she slowly went towards the TARDIS.

"Why's it pointing at the...light?" Larry asked, as the lights started to flicker.

"Oh, my gosh! It's turning out the lights!" Sally said.

"Quickly!" Larry said.

Clara jammed the key in the lock, but couldn't quite get it to turn.

"I can't get it!" Clara said.

"Hurry up!" Larry said. "Get it open! They're getting faster, Clara, come on!"

"I got it!" Clara shouted, pushing open the door. "Quick, close the doors so they won't get in!"

A hologram of the Doctor appeared on the deck above them.

"This is security protocol 712," he said. "This time capsule has detected the presence of an authorized control disc, valid one journey."

"Doctor, the Angels are trying to get in!" Clara yelled.

Larry opened the case of the disk that had the Doctor on it and it was glowing.

"Please insert the disc and prepare for departure," the Doctor said.

"It goes in over there!" Clara said, pointing.

"Looks like a DVD player," Sally said. "There's a slot."

Clara scrambled to keep on her feet as the Angels rocked the TARDIS back and forth.

"They're trying to get in!" Larry said.

"Well, hurry up then!" Sally said.

Larry had put in the disc and the TARDIS started to dematerialize. Clara realized there was something wrong when Larry and Sally started to fade around her.

"No! You can't leave them!" Clara shouted. "They'll die!"

The TARDIS had faded entirely, though. Rushing to the door, she opened it to find the Doctor and Martha waiting outside.

"How could you!?" Clara asked, smacking the Doctor across the face.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"You left them behind!" Clara said, close to tears. "The Angels will kill them!"

"No, it won't," the Doctor said. "I tricked them. They'll only be looking at each other."

"So they were just bait, then?" Clara asked, still mad.

"Weelll, in a way, I suppose," the Doctor said.

"So, they'll be fine?" Clara asked.

"Yup!" the Doctor said.

"Alright then," Clara said. "Now, move!"

The Doctor went into the TARDIS and Martha hugged Clara saying thank you, over and over again.

**One year later...for Sally and Larry**

**Five months previously...for the Doctor, Martha, and Clara**

Clara had a crossbow strapped to her back, just like the Doctor did. Martha had a quiver of arrows across her's. They had all jammed into a taxi, chasing down a giant lizard.

"Doctor! Doctor! Clara!" someone shouted their names. Clara whipped around to see an unfamiliar girl running out of a shop towards them.

"Hello! Sorry, bit of a rush, there's a sort of thing happening, fairly important we stop it," the Doctor said, as Clara edged away, towards the danger.

"It's you, it really is you," the woman said. "Oh, you don't remember me, do you? Either of you?"

"Sorry, no," Clara said, taking another step towards Martha.

"We don't have time for this," Martha said. "Migration's started."

"Look, sorry, I've got a bit of a complex life," the Doctor said. "Things don't always happen to me in order. Gets confusing, especially at weddings, I'm rubbish at weddings, especially my own."

"Is that something we should know, Doctor?" Clara asked, smirking.

"Oh, my gosh! Of course, you're time travelers," the woman said. "It hasn't happened yet! None of it, it's still in your futures!"

"What hasn't happened?" the Doctor asked.

"Apparently something," Clara said.

"Doctor! Clara! Twenty minutes to red hatching!" Martha shouted.

"It was me," the woman said. "Oh, it was me all along. You got it all from me!"

"Got what?" the Doctor asked.

"Okay, listen," the woman said. "One day you're going to get stuck in 1969. Make sure you've got this with you. You're going to need it."

She handed the Doctor a packet with photos and lots of paper in it.

"And you, just make sure you push me to let you help," Sally said to Clara.

"Okay?" Clara said, not entirely sure.

"Doctor! Clara!" Martha shouted.

"Coming!" Clara said.

"Yeah, listen, listen, got to dash...things happening. Well, four things. Well, four things and a lizard," the Doctor said.

"Okay," the woman said. "No worries, on you go. See you around, some day."

"What was your name?" the Doctor asked.

"Sally Sparrow," she said.

"Good to meet you, Sally Sparrow," the Doctor said.

"See ya," Clara said, taking off after Martha.


	39. Utopia

**Utopia**

"Where are we?" Clara asked.

"Cardiff," the Doctor said.

"Cardiff?" Martha asked.

"You mean where-?" Clara asked, dropping off as the Doctor nodded. It was where the rift was. The same one that Margaret the Slitheen had tried to break open.

"Ah, but the thing about Cardiff is that it's built on a rift in time and space—just like California and the San Andreas Fault. The rift _bleeds_ energy. Every now and then I need to open up the engines, soak up the energy and use it as fuel," the Doctor said.

"Last time we did it was a disaster," Clara said.

"So, it's a pit stop," Martha said.

"Exactly," the Doctor said.

"Wait a minute," Martha said. "They had an earthquake in Cardiff a couple years ago. What that you?"

"And the disaster I was talking about," Clara said. "Nearly died."

"Bit of trouble with the Slitheen," the Doctor said.

"Horrible family," Clara said. "That was a couple of years ago? Seems like yesterday."

"Long time ago," the Doctor said, sounding like he was far off. "Lifetimes. I was a different man back then."

"Very different," Clara said, remembering his ninth regeneration, the one she had fallen in love with.

"Finito," the Doctor said. "All powered up."

"So, where to next?" Clara asked, as the Doctor flipped a switch. The Doctor didn't answer as the TARDIS console exploded with sparks and smoke.

"Ahh!" Clara cried out as she was thrown to the floor with the Doctor and Martha.

"What's that?" Martha asked, clinging to the console.

"We're accelerating into the future!" the Doctor said. "The year one billion. Five billion. Five trillion. Fifty trillion. What? The year one hundred trillion. That's impossible!"

"Why? What happens then?" Martha asked.

"We're going to the end of the universe," the Doctor said.

"How is that possible?" Clara asked.

"Well, we've landed," the Doctor said, looking at Clara and Martha.

"So, what's out there?" Martha asked.

"I don't know," the Doctor said.

"Which is quite different," Clara said.

"Say that again," Martha said. "That's rare."

"Not even the Time Lords came this far," the Doctor said. "We should leave. We should go. We should really, really...go."

He looked at Martha and Clara and grinned hugely before taking off for the door. Outside, it was slightly cold and dark.

"Oh, my gosh!" Martha said, rushing to someone lying on the ground. "Can't get a pulse. Hold on—you've got that medical kit thing."

"Jack?" Clara said, eyes wide.

"Hello, again," the Doctor said, walking over. "Oh, I'm sorry."

Clara ran and dropped to the other side of Jack, putting her head to his chest but she couldn't hear his heart beating.

"Here we go," Martha said, rushing back. "Out of the way."

She shoved the Doctor out of the way.

"I can't even hear his heart beating," Clara told her.

"It's a bit odd," Martha said. "Not very 100 trillion—that coat's more like World War II."

"That's Captain Jack for you," Clara said.

"I think he came with us," the Doctor said.

"How d'you mean?" Martha asked. "From Earth? And how d'you know him?"

"Friend from a long time ago," Clara said.

"Must've been clinging to the outside of the TARDIS all the way through the vortex. Well, that's very him," the Doctor said.

"What? You know him, too?" Martha asked.

"Friend of mine, also," the Doctor said. "Used to travel with us. Back in the old days."

"But he's—I'm sorry, there's no heartbeat. There's nothing. He's dead," Martha said.

Clara shrieked as Jack gave a huge gasp and grabbed onto her arm. Martha also screamed.

"Oh, well, so much for me," Martha said. "It's all right. Just breathe deep. I've got you now."

"Captain Jack Harkness," he said. "And who are you?"

"Martha Jones," she said.

"Nice to meet you, Martha Jones," Jack said.

"Oh, don't start!" the Doctor said.

"I was just saying hello," Jack protested.

"I don't mind," Martha said.

"I see that nothing ever changes," Clara said, as Martha helped Jack to his feet.

"Clara Tyler!" Jack said, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug and then kissed her.

"Nice to see you too, Jack," Clara said, gasping for breath as Jack set her back on her feet.

"Doctor," Jack said simply, looking at the Doctor.

"Captain," the Doctor said.

"Good to see you," Jack said.

"And you," the Doctor said. "Same as ever...although...have you had work done?"

"As if," Clara snorted.

"You can talk!" Jack said.

"Oh, yes, the face," the Doctor said. "Regeneration. How did you know this was me?"

"The police box kinda gives it away," Jack said. "I've been following you for a long time. You abandoned me."

"We kinda thought you were dead," Clara said sadly.

"Did I?" the Doctor asked. "Busy live. Move on."

"Just gotta ask," Jack said. "The Battle of Canary Wharf. I saw the list of the dead. It said Rose Tyler."

"Oh, no! Sorry! She's alive!" the Doctor said.

"You're kidding?!" Jack said with a laugh.

"Parallel world safe and sound," the Doctor said. "And Mickey! And her mother!"

"But not you?" Jack asked Clara.

"Nope," she said. "Stayed with this one."

"Oh, yes!" Jack said, excited. He grabbed the Doctor and Clara and hugged them both. Clara laughed.

Jack had taken Clara's arm and was walking beside her and Martha, the Doctor in front of them.

"So, there I was, stranded in the year 200,100, ankle-deep in Dalek dust, and he goes off without me," Jack explained to Martha. "But I had this. I used to be a Time Agent. It's called a vortex manipulator. He's not the only one who can time travel."

"Oh, excuse me," the Doctor said. "That is not time travel. It's like I've got a sports car and you've got a space hopper."

"Boys and their toys," Martha said, laughing.

"Welcome to my world," Clara said, shaking her head.

"All right, so I bounced," Jack said. "I thought '21st century, best place to find the Doctor,' except that I got it a little wrong. I arrived in 1869 and this thing burnt out so it was useless."

"Told you," the Doctor said.

"I had to live through the entire 20th century waiting for a version of you that would coincide with me," Jack said.

"That makes you more than 100 years old!" Martha exclaimed.

"And looking good, doncha think?" Jack asked.

"I'll agree to that," Clara laughed, missing the look on the Doctor's face.

"So, I went to the time rift, based myself thing 'cause I knew you'd come back to refuel," Jack said, after winking at Clara. "Until finally I get a signal on this detecting you and here we are."

"But the thing is, how come you left him behind, Doctor?" Martha asked.

"I was busy," the Doctor said.

"Is that what happens, though?" Martha asked. "Seriously? Do you just get bored with us one day and disappear?"

"Not if you're blonde," Jack said. "Or red head, apparently."

"Hey!" Clara said.

"Oh, she was blonde?" Martha asked sarcastically. "Oh, what a surprise!"

"Hey, that's my cousin!" Clara exclaimed.

"You three!" the Doctor said. "We're at the end of the universe. All right? We're at the edge of knowledge itself and you're busy...blogging! Come on."

"Someone's a bit touchy," Clara whispered to Jack, who smiled.

They all stopped at the edge of a canyon, and saw what looked like a city below.

"Is that a city?" Martha asked.

"A city or a hive," the Doctor said. "Or a nest. Or a conglomeration. Looks like it was grown. But look there. That's like pathways, roads...must have been some sort of life. Long ago."

"What killed it?" Martha asked.

"Time," the Doctor said. "Just time. Everything's dying now. All the great civilizations have gone. This isn't just night. All the stars have burned up and faded away into nothing."

"It's so sad," Clara said, looking out at the empty city.

"It must have an atmospheric shell," Jack said. "We should be frozen to death."

"Well, Martha, Clara, and I, maybe," the Doctor said. "Not so sure about you, Jack."

"What about the people?" Martha asked. "Does no one survive?"

"I suppose we have to hope," the Doctor said. "Life will find a way."

"Well, he's not doin' too bad," Jack said, pointing to a man down below them.

The man looked like he was running for his life, followed by a bunch of people with torches.

"Is it me, or does that look like a hunt? Come on!" the Doctor said, taking off.

"Oh, I've missed this!" Jack said, laughing from behind Clara.

They reached the man and Jack grabbed him.

"I've got you," Jack said.

"We've gotta run!" the man said. "They're coming! They're coming!"

Jack passed the man over to the Doctor and pulled out his revolver and pointed it at the 'people' that had been chasing the man.

"Jack, don't you dare!" the Doctor shouted.

Jack then fired his revolver into the air and the 'people' stopped.

"What the hell are they?" Martha asked.

"There's more of them," the man said. "We've got to keep going."

"I've got a ship nearby," the Doctor said. "It's safe. It's not far, it's just over there."

He looked back to where the TARDIS was and saw more of the people.

"Or, maybe not," the Doctor said.

"We're close to the silo," the man said. "If we get to the silo, then we're safe."

"Silo?" the Doctor asked Jack, Martha, and Clara.

"Silo," Jack said.

"Silo for me," Martha said.

"I vote for silo," Clara said.

The five of them ran to the silo that had a large gate and armed guards.

"It's the Futurekind! Open the gate!" the man shouted at the guards.

"Show me your teeth! Show me your teeth! Show me your teeth!" the guard nearest the gate said.

"Show them your teeth!" the man said to them.

Clara bared her teeth at the guard, as did the Doctor, Martha, and Jack.

"Human! Let 'em in! Let 'em in!" the guard said. They opened the gate and all five of them ran inside.

"Close! Close! Close!" the guard said. He then fired his gun at the ground in front of the Futurekind.

"Humans," one of the Futurekind said. "Humani. Make feast."

"Go back to where you came from," the guard said. "I said go back! Go back!"

The guard then aimed his gun.

"Oh, don't tell him to put down his gun," Jack said.

"He's not my responsibility," the Doctor said.

"And I am?" Jack said, scoffing. "That makes a change."

"Kind watch you," the man of the Futurekind said. "Kind hungry."

"That's a bit creepy," Clara said as the Futurekind backed away.

"Thanks for that," the Doctor said to the guard.

"Right," the guard said. "Let's get you inside."

"My name is Padrafet Shafekane," the man with them said. "Please tell me, can you take me to Utopia?"

"Oh, yes, sir," the guard said. "Yes, I can."

The guard led them inside a large tunnel that was carved into the mountain.

"It's a box, a big blue box," the Doctor told Atillo, the guard. "I'm sorry, but I really need it back. It's stuck out there."

"I'm sorry, but my family were heading for the silo," Padra said. "Did they get here? My mother is Kistane Shafekane. My brother is Beltone."

"The computers are down, but you can check the paperwork," Atillo said. "Creet!"

A young boy, who looked about ten, stuck his head around the corner. Clara thought that he looked so cute with his blonde hair.

"Passenger needs help," Atillo told Creet.

"Right. What d'you need?" Creet asked Padra.

"A blue box, you said?" Atillo asked.

"Big, tall, wooden," the Doctor said. "Says 'Police'."

"We're driving out for a last water collection," Atillo said. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you," the Doctor said.

"Come on," Creet said to Padra.

"Sorry, but how old are you?" Martha asked Creet.

"Old enough to work," Creet said. "This way."

They all followed Creet through a cramped, crowded hallway that was lined with people camping on the floor.

"Oh, my gosh," Clara said, seeing all the people.

Creet was going along the hallway, calling out Padra's family's names.

"It's like a refugee camp," Martha said.

"Stinking," Jack said, as they passed a large man who stared at him. "Ooh, sorry. No offence."

"Way to go, Captain," Clara said.

"Don't you see that?" the Doctor asked. "The ripe old smell of humans. You survived. Oh, much better than a million years evolving into clouds of gas. And then another million as downloads, but you always revert to the same basic shape. The fundamental humans."

"Kistane Shafekane," Creet called out.

"End of the universe and here you are," the Doctor said. "Indomitable! That's the word! Indomitable! Ha!"

"Is there a Kistane Shafekane?" Creet asked.

"That's me," a woman said, standing. She then gasped when she saw Padra.

"Mother?" Padra asked.

"Oh, my gosh!" Kistane said.

"Beltone?" Padra asked, then ran to embrace his family.

"It's not all bad news," Martha said.

"It's sweet," Clara said.

Jack walked a little ways down the corridor to handsome man.

"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack said, shaking the man's hand. "And who are you?"

"Stop it," the Doctor said, examining a door with his sonic screwdriver. "Give us a hand with this.

"Some things never change," Clara said, shaking her head at Jack.

"What?" he asked, as they joined the Doctor.

"It's half deadlocked," the Doctor said. "See if you can override the code. Let's find out where we are."

The door opened and there was nothing on the other side. The Doctor nearly fell forward until Jack and Clara both reached out and caught him.

"Gotcha," Jack said.

"Thanks," the Doctor said.

"How did you cope without me?" Jack said.

"He had me," Clara said, and Jack winked at her.

"Now that is what I call a rocket," Martha said.

"They're not refugees, they're passengers," the Doctor said.

"He said they were going to Utopia," Martha said.

"The perfect place," the Doctor said. "100 trillion years, it's still the same old dream. Do you recognize those engines?"

"Nope," Jack said. "Whatever it is, it's not rocket science. But it's hot, though."

"Boiling," the Doctor said, as they stepped back and Jack shut the door. "But if the universe is falling apart, what does Utopia mean?"

An old man came running up to them and looked between the Doctor and Jack.

"The Doctor?" the man said to Jack.

"That's me," the Doctor said.

The man took the Doctor's hand and started leading him away.

"Good, good, good, good, good, good," the man said.

"It's good, apparently," the Doctor said, looking back at Clara, Jack, and Martha. Clara snorted.

The man led them to a room with a blue alien in it.

"Chan—welcome—tho," the woman said.

"This is the gravitissimal accelerator," the man said. "It's part of the..."

"Chan—welcome—tho," the woman said again.

"Hello," Martha said to the woman. "Who are you?"

"Chan—Chantho—tho," the woman said.

"But we can't get it to harmonize!" the man said from behind them.

"I'm Clara, and this is Martha," Clara said to Chantho.

"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack introduced himself.

"Stop it," the Doctor said.

"Can't I say hello to anyone?" Jack asked.

"Chan—I do not protest—tho," Chantho said.

"Maybe later, Blue," Jack said, winking at Chantho. "So, what have we got here?"

Martha and Clara both followed Jack, wondering about the sound coming from his pack he was carrying.

"What is that?" Clara wondered.

"Dunno," Martha said.

"And all this feeds into the rocket?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah, except without a stable footprint, we'll never achieve escape velocity," the Professor said. "If only we could harmonize the five impact patterns and unify them, well, we might make it. What do you think, Doctor? Any ideas?"

"Well, um, basically...sort of...not a clue," the Doctor said.

"Nothing?" Professor Yana asked.

"I'm not from around these parts," the Doctor said. "I've never seen a system like it. Sorry."

"No, no," Professor Yana said. "I'm sorry. It's my fault. There's been so little help."

In a small sitting area, Martha and Clara's curiosity had gotten the best of them. Martha got into Jack's bag and pulled out a bubbling jar with a hand floating around in it.

"Oh, my gosh," Martha said, setting the jar on the table. Clara slowly reached forward and tapped the jar with her finger.

"Ew," she said.

"You've got a hand," Martha said. "A hand in a jar. A hand in a jar in your bag."

"But that—that's my hand!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"What?" Clara asked, confused.

"I said I had a Doctor detector," Jack said.

"Chan—is this a tradition amongst your people—tho?" Chantho asked.

"Not on my street," Martha said. "What d'you mean that's your hand? You've got both your hands, I can see them."

"Long story," the Doctor said. "I lost my hand Christmas Day. In a sword fight."

"Oh, so that's where it came from. The Sycorax," Clara said with realization.

"What?" Martha asked. "And you grew another hand?"

"Um, yeah," the Doctor said. "Yeah, I did. Yea. Hello."

He waggled his fingers at Martha and Clara giggled at the look on Martha's face.

"Might I ask what species are you?" Professor Yana asked.

"Time Lord," the Doctor said. "Last of. Heard of them? Legend or anything? Not even a myth? Blimey, end of the universe is a bit humbling."

"Takes your ego down a notch, doesn't it?" Clara teased the Doctor.

"Chan—it is said that I am the last of my species, too—tho," Chantho said.

"Sorry, what was your name?" the Doctor asked her.

"My assistant and good friend, Chantho," Professor Yana said. "A survivor of the Malmooth. This was their planet, Malcassairo, before we took refuge."

"The city outside, that was yours?" the Doctor asked.

"Chan—the conglomeration died—tho," Chantho said.

"Conglomeration! That's what I said!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"You're supposed to say sorry," Jack said.

"Oh, yes. Sorry," the Doctor said.

"Chan—most grateful—tho," Chantho said.

"You grew another hand?" Martha said, still not believing it.

"Hello again," the Doctor said, waggling his fingers again. "Look. Really, it's me."

He held out his hand and shook Martha's hand.

"All this time and you're still full of surprises," Martha laughed nervously.

The Doctor winked at Martha and clicked her tongue.

"Chan—you are most unusual—tho," Chantho said.

"Well..." the Doctor said.

"That's him," Clara said to Chantho.

"So, what about those things outside?" Jack asked. "The Beastie Boys. What are they?"

"We call then the Futurekind," Professor Yana said. "Which is a myth in itself, but, uh, it is feared they are what we will become. Unless we reach Utopia."

"And Utopia is...?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, every human knows of Utopia," Professor Yana said. "Where have you been?"

"Bit of a hermit," the Doctor said.

"A hermit with friends?" Professor Yana asked.

"Hermits United," the Doctor said. "We meet up every ten years. Swap stories about caves. It's good fun...for a hermit. So, um, Utopia?"

Professor Yana beckoned them over to a computer screen that showed a navigational chart with a blinking red dot on it.

"The call came from across the stars over and over again," Professor Yana said. "Come to Utopia. Originated from that point."

"Where is that?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, it's far beyond the Condensate Wilderness," Professor Yana said. "Out towards the wildlands and the dark matter reefs. Calling us in. The last of the humans. Scattered across the night."

"What do you thinks out there?" the Doctor asked.

"I don't know," Professor Yana said. "A colony, a city, some sort of haven? The Science Foundation created the Utopia Project thousands of years ago to preserve mankind—to find a way of surviving beyond the collapse of reality itself. Now perhaps they found it. Perhaps not. But it's worth a look, don't you think?"

"Oh, yes," the Doctor said. "And the signal keeps modulating, so it's not automatic. There's a good sign. Someone's out there. And that's...ooh, that's a navigation matrix, isn't it? So you can fly without stars to guide you. Professor? Professor?"

"I—Right, that's enough talk," Professor Yana suddenly said, snapping out his trance he was in. "There's work to do. Now, if you could leave. Thank you."

"You all right?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes. I'm fine!" Professor Yana insisted. "And busy!"

"Except that rocket's not going to fly, is it?" the Doctor asked. "This footprint mechanism thing, it's not working."

"We'll find a way!" Professor Yana said.

"You're stuck on this planet," the Doctor said. "And you haven't told them, have you? That lot out there, they still think they're gonna fly."

"Well, it's better to let them live in hope," Professor Yana said.

"Quite right, too," the Doctor said. He took off his coat and tossed it to Jack, who almost literally stuffed it into Clara's face. "And I must say, Professor...Um, what was it?"

"Yana," he answered.

Clara neatly folded the Doctor's coat and put it on the seat by Jack's pack.

"Professor Yana," the Doctor said. "This new science is well beyond me, but all the same, a boost reversal circuit, in any time frame, must be a circuit which reverses the boost. So, I wonder, what would happen if I did this?"

He picked up the circuit and used his sonic screwdriver on it, giving them power.

"Chan—it's working—tho!" Chantho said.

"But how did you do that?" Professor Yana asked.

"Oh, we've been chatting away," the Doctor said. "I forgot to tell you, I'm brilliant!"

"Plus, it's best not to ask him," Clara said. "He'll just ramble on."

Martha giggled at that and nodded.

The Doctor put Martha and Clara to work at a set of controls.

"All passengers prepare for immediate boarding," Atillo said over the loudspeaker. "I repeat, all passengers prepare for immediate boarding. Destination: Utopia. All troops fall back to the silo. I repeat, all troops fall back to the silo. I repeat, all passengers prepare for immediate boarding."

Martha left with Chantho and Clara helped Jack, while the Doctor was working on a circuit board with Professor Yana.

"So, how've you been, Jack?" Clara asked.

"Just fine. Still traveling with him, I see?" Jack said.

"Yeah," Clara said. "I will for as long as I can."

"And you're still with him?" Jack asked, winking.

"Oh, shut up!" Clara said, grinning, pushing him.

"Thought so," Jack said. "So, how old would you be now, Earth time?"

"Um," Clara said, pausing to think about it. "Twenty-one, I think."

"Getting up there in age, then," Jack teased.

"Oi! You can talk," Clara said, laughing. "I think his ego just got bigger," she said, as the Doctor was saying how brilliant he was.

"I don't think that changes between regenerations," Jack said, laughing.

"Nope," Clara said.

"Professor, tell the Doctor we've found his blue box," Atillo said over the comm.

"Ah!" the Doctor said.

"Doctor," Jack called him over to the monitor, which showed the TARDIS inside the silo.

"It's good to see the TARDIS again," Clara said.

"Professor, it's a wild stab in the dark, but I may just have found you a way out," the Doctor said, rushing into the TARDIS. He then came back out, bringing with him long power lines. "Extra power. Little bit of a cheat, but who's counting? Jack, you and Clara are in charge of the retro-feeds."

"On it," Clara said, joining Jack.

"Oh, am I glad to see that thing," Martha said, returning with Chantho.

"Chan—Professor, are you all right—tho?" Chantho asked Professor Yana.

"Yes, I'm fine," Professor Yana said. "I'm fine. I'm fine. Just get on with it."

"Connect those circuits into the spar—same as that last lot. But quicker," Jack told Clara and Martha.

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Clara said, saluting him.

She stuck her tongue out in concentration as she connected the circuits she was supposed to then rejoined Jack. She had actually really missed him when she thought he was dead. Which, that wasn't until after the Bad Wolf had left and the Doctor had taken the heart of the TARDIS from her head.

"Professor, are you getting me?" Atillo asked on the computer.

"I'm here! We're ready!" Professor Yana said, going to the computer. "Now, all you need to do is connect the couplings. Then we can launch. Goodness sakes! This equipment! Needs rebooting all the time!"

"Anything I can do?" Martha asked, going up to Yana. "I've finished that lot."

"Yes, if you could," Professor Yana said, getting up so that Martha could take his seat. "Just press the reboot key every time the picture goes out."

"Certainly sir," Martha said. "Just don't ask me to do shorthand."

"Are you still there?" Atillo asked on the screen.

"Ah, present and correct," Professor Yana said. "Send your man inside. We'll keep the levels down from here."

"He's inside. And good luck to him," Atillo said.

"Captain, keep the levels below the red," Professor Yana said to Jack.

"We're on it, Professor," Clara said to him.

"Where is that room?" the Doctor asked.

"It's underneath the rocket," Professor Yana said. "Fix the couplings and the footprint can work. But the entire chamber is flooded with stet radiation."

"Stet? Never heard of it," the Doctor said.

"You wouldn't want to," Professor Yana said. "But it's safe enough. We can hold the radiation back from here."

An alarm started to sound.

"It's rising...0.2. Keep it level!" Professor Yana said.

"Yes, sir!" Jack said.

"Chan—we're losing power—tho!" Chantho said.

"It's going above the red!" Clara said, watching the needle rise.

"Radiation's rising!" the Doctor said.

"We've lost control!" Jack said.

"The chamber's going to flood," Professor Yana said.

"Jack! Override the vents!" the Doctor shouted.

Jack pushed Clara out of the way, causing her to fall to the ground. He then grabbed two cables that were sparking.

"We can jump start the override!" Jack said, holding the cables together. Clara put her hand over her eyes as there was a bright spark.

"Don't! It's going to flare!" the Doctor shouted.

Jack screamed as the power hit him. He then fell to the floor, dead.

Clara scrambled to his side and put her head to his chest, searching for a heartbeat. She found nothing.

"I've got him!" Martha said, rushing to Jack.

"Chan—don't touch the cables—tho," Chantho said, pushing the cables aside.

"No heartbeat," Clara said, tearing up. "He's dead."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Professor Yana said.

"The chamber's flooded with radiation, yes?" the Doctor asked as Martha started mouth-to-mouth on Jack.

"Without the couplings, the engines will never start," Professor Yana said. "It was all for nothing!"

Clara just sat on her knees next to Jack, knowing there was nothing she could do.

"Oh, I don't know," the Doctor said, walking forward. "Martha, leave him."

"You've gotta let me try," Martha said.

"There's nothing to do," Clara said.

"Come on," the Doctor said. "Come on. Just listen to me. Now leave him alone. It strikes me, Professor, you've got a room a man can't enter without dying. Is that correct?"

"Yes," Professor Yana said.

"Well..." the Doctor said, as Jack gave a huge gasp like before and came back to life. Clara started and fell back onto her rear, eyes wide. "I've got just the man."

"Was someone kissing me?" Jack asked.

Clara practically threw herself at Jack, embracing him tightly.

"Right, that's enough," the Doctor said, both jealous and knowing they needed to move. "We've got to go, Jack."

"I'll see you later," Clara said, laughing. Jack got up off the floor and followed the Doctor out of the room.

She then joined Martha at the computer, where she was trying to get a picture up.

"Picture's gone," Martha said.

"We might still have sound," Clara said. "Try that."

"We lost picture when that thing flared up," Martha said. "Doctor, are you there?"

"Receiving, yeah," the Doctor said. "He's inside."

"And still alive?" Martha asked.

"Oh, yes," the Doctor said.

"That's impossible," Clara said.

"He should evaporate," Professor Yana said, nodding. "What sort of man is he?"

"I've only just met him," Martha said. "The Doctor sort of travels through time and space and picks people up. Gosh, I make us sound like stray dogs. Maybe we are."

"Tin dogs," Clara said, remembering what Mickey had always said.

"He travels in time?" Professor Yana asked.

"Don't ask us to explain it," Martha said, gesturing to herself and Clara. "That's a TARDIS. The sports car of time travel, he says."

"Very complicated," Clara said.

The Doctor and Jack were still on the computer, so Clara, Martha, and Chantho were listening to them.

"When did you first realize?" the Doctor asked Jack.

"Earth 1892," Jack said. "Got in a fight in Ellis Island. A man shot me through the heart. Then I woke up. Thought it was kinda strange. But then it never stopped. Fell off a cliff, trampled by horses, World War I, World War II, poison, strangulation, a stray javelin...In the end, I got the message, I'm the man who can never die. And all that time you knew."

"The Doctor knew?" Clara whispered, stunned. He had let her and Rose think that Jack was dead and didn't ever say anything.

"That's why I left you behind," the Doctor said. "It's not easy even just...just looking at you, Jack, 'cause you're wrong."

"Thanks," Jack said with slight sarcasm.

"You are, I can't help it," the Doctor said. "I'm a Time Lord. It's instinct. It's in my gut. You're a fixed point in time and space. You're a fact. That's never meant to happen. Even the TARDIS reacted against you—tried to shake you off. Flew all the way to the end of the universe just to get rid of you."

"So, what you're saying is that you're, uh, prejudiced?" Jack asked.

"I never thought of it like that," the Doctor said.

"Yeah," Jack said. "Last thing I remember back when I was mortal...I was facing three Daleks. Death by extermination. And then I came back to life. What happened?"

"Clara," the Doctor answered.

"I thought you had sent her and Rose back home," Jack said.

"They came back," the Doctor said. "Opened the heart of the TARDIS and Clara absorbed the time vortex."

"What does that mean, exactly?" Jack asked.

"No one's ever meant to have that power," the Doctor said. "If a Time Lord did that, he'd become a god, a vengeful god. But she was human. Everything she did was so human. She brought you back to life but she couldn't control it. She brought you back forever. That's something, I suppose. The final act of the Time War was life."

Clara let a tear drop as she realized that she was responsible for Jack's condition. Martha was looking at her strangely.

"Do you think she could change me back?" Jack asked.

"I took the power out of her," the Doctor said.

"What about Rose?" Jack asked.

"She's gone, Jack. She's not just living on a parallel world, she's trapped there. The walls have closed," the Doctor said.

"I'm sorry," Jack said.

"Yep," the Doctor said.

"I went back to her estate, in the 90s, just one or twice. Watched her and Clara growing up. Never said hello, timelines and all that," Jack said.

"Do you wanna die?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, this one's a little stuck," Jack said.

"Jack?" the Doctor asked.

"I thought I did. I dunno," Jack said. "But this lot, you see them out here surviving and that's fantastic."

"You may be out there somewhere," the Doctor said.

"I could go meet myself," Jack said.

"Well, the only man you're ever gonna be happy with," the Doctor said.

Clara smiled through her tears.

"This new regeneration, it's kinda cheeky," Jack said.

"Hmm," the Doctor said.

"I never understand half the things he says," Martha said.

"Remind me to explain it to you later," Clara said.

"What's wrong?" Martha asked Professor Yana.

"Chan—Professor, what is it—tho?" Chantho asked.

"Time travel," Professor Yana said. "They say there was time travel back in the old days. I never believed. But what would I know? I'm just a stupid old man. Never could keep time. Always late, always lost. Even this thing never worked."

He pulled out a fobwatch from his waistcoat pocket. Clara looked at Martha, both of their eyes wide.

"Time and time and time again," Professor Yana said. "Always running out on me."

"Can I have a look at that?" Martha asked.

"Oh, it's only an old relic," Professor Yana said, chuckling. "Like me."

"Where did you get it?" Martha asked.

"Hm? I was found with it," Professor Yana said.

"What do you mean?" Martha asked.

"An orphan in the storm," Professor Yana said. "I was a naked child found on the coast of the Silver Devastation. Abandoned with only this."

"Have you opened it?" Martha asked.

"Why would I?" Professor Yana asked. "It's broken."

"How do you know it's broken if you never opened it?" Martha asked.

"It's stuck," Professor Yana said. "It's old. It's not meant to be. I don't know."

"Perception filter," Clara muttered to Martha. Martha reached forward and turned the watch over. It looked exactly like the Doctor's, with the Gallifreyan writing on it. Clara's eyes widened and Martha stepped back.

"Does it matter?" Professor Yana asked.

"No," Martha said quickly. It's...nothing. It's...Listen, everything's fine up here. I'm gonna see if the Doctor needs me. Clara?"

"No," Clara said. "I'll stay just in case I'm needed."

What she meant was that she was going to keep an eye on Professor Yana. Clara kept an eye on him after Martha left. He was staring at the watch, as if he was seeing it for the first time.

"Chan—Yana, won't you please take some rest—tho?" Chantho asked. "Chan—Professor Yana—tho?"

When he turned around, Clara could see there was a change in him. It seemed as if he had opened the watch while he was turned around.

He threw a lever that closed and locked the door just before the Doctor got there.

"Chan—but you've locked them in—tho," Chantho said.

"What are you doing?" Clara asked him.

"Not to worry, my dears," Yana said. "As one door closes, another must open."

The switch he threw shut down the power at the main gate, letting the Futurekind in.

"Chan—you must stop—tho!" Chantho said.

"Stay back, Chantho," Clara warned, as Yana ignored them.

"Chan—but you've lowered the defenses! The Futurekind will get in—tho!" Chantho said, not listening to Clara. Beside Clara, Chantho pulled out a gun. "Chan—Professor, I'm so sorry, but I must stop you. You're destroying all our work—tho."

"Oh...now I can say I was provoked," Yana said, turning around. He held one of the live cables. "Did you never think, in all those years standing beside me, to ask about that watch? Never? Did you never think, not ever, that you could set me free?"

"Chan—I'm sorry—tho," Chantho said, whimpering. "Chan—I'm so sorry—tho."

"And you with your 'chan' and your 'tho' driving me insane," Yana said.

Clara knew this wasn't going to be good. He was bordering cruel. He may be a Time Lord, but he was one that she wished she wouldn't have met.

"Chan—Professor, please-" Chantho started.

"That is not my name!" Yana said. "The Professor...was an invention. So perfect a disguise that I forgot who I am."

"Chan—who are you—tho?" Chantho asked.

"I am the Master," Yana said, thrusting the cable forward, hitting Chantho with it. Clara shrieked and ducked to the side.

The Master reached out and grabbed the jar with the Doctor's hand in it and hit Clara over the head with it. Knocked out, the Master dragged her by her hair into the TARDIS, where she lay on the floor.

After the Doctor, Jack, and Martha had burst into the room, the Master was already in the TARDIS with a still unconscious Clara. Chantho had shot him with her gun and he was ready to regenerate.

"Clara's gone, Doctor!" Jack said.

In the TARDIS, Clara woke up, holding her head, and then curled into a fetal position as the Master regenerated.

"Ahh!" she cried out, holding her head, trying to stay away from the blast of golden light.

"Doctor!" Clara screamed out, as the Master fell to the ground, unconscious. "Help!"

The Master suddenly woke up and jumped up.

"Ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha!" the Master said, running around the console. "Ha, ha, ha!"

He turned on the speaker to outside the TARDIS. "Doctor—ooh, new voice. Hello, hello, hello. Anyway, why don't we stop and have a nice little chat while I tell you all my plans and you can work out a way to stop me? I don't think so! Oh, by the way, I'm taking your little companion as my prisoner."

"I'm asking you really properly! Just stop! Just think!" the Doctor said.

"Use my name," the Master said.

"Master," the Doctor said. "I'm sorry."

"Tough!" the Master said, using the controls, dematerializing the TARDIS.

"Doctor!" Clara yelled.

"Shut up, you," the Master said, kicking her and she whimpered.

The console sparked and the Master said, "Oh, no you don't! End of the universe. Have fun. Bye, bye!"

"Doctor!" Clara shouted one final time as the TARDIS completely dematerialized, leaving them stranded in the future.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	40. The Sound of Drums

**The Sound of Drums**

Clara frowned as she tugged on the end of her dress, wishing it was longer.

"Leave it alone," the Master said in a silky, dangerous voice.

"Leave _me_ alone," Clara hissed back at him. He had her handcuffed to a leash that was attached to a guard nearby. He also had her in a maid outfit and used her as a personal slave. They had been on Earth for eighteen months, where the Master had risen to Prime Minister after Harriet Jones had been put out of office.

"Watch yourself, my pet, or else your precious Doctor might just find your body somewhere," the Master said, smirking.

Clara only glared at him, keeping quiet. Other than hitting her occasionally when she talked back to him, he actually treated her rather well. Of course, she would have to learn to hold her tongue. She knew that she was being used as bait for the Doctor, though she knew the Doctor would come after the Master anyways.

She was locked up when the Master didn't need her, which caused a lot of boredom. As much as she _didn't_ want the Doctor to come, she missed him like crazy. This was much worse than spending the two months in London while he was in 1969.

As for the Master's wife, Lucy, Clara knew that Lucy didn't like her. She only put up with Clara because of the Master. Clara actually felt sorry for the woman. It was like she was brainwashed. Either that, or it was the Archangel Network.

Being a maid had its advantages. As it was in the parallel world with the Cybermen, the maids knew everything. The Archangel Network was a psychic link that made people like the Master. It was what got him voted as Prime Minister.

Clara also knew that the Master was keeping an eye and ears out for the Doctor, Jack, and Martha. So far, there had been no sight or word of them. She also found out that Martha's sister, Tish, was working as an assistant for the Master. She had only just started, but Clara had yet to actually see her, else she would warn her.

"You're needed," the guard that was posted outside of her door said, sticking his head in.

"Fine," Clara grumbled, sticking out her wrist for the handcuffs. She had learned within her first week there not to fight against the cuffs. She shuddered to even think of it. She had had a black eye for a week after her first time fighting.

She was escorted to the sitting room in Number 10 Downing Street. It had only just been rebuilt after the Doctor and Mickey had blown it up when the Slitheen had invaded it.

She nearly threw up when the Master opened the door to the sitting room, smirking at her. There was blood spread out over the room and several Toclafane were floating in the air.

"Clean it up," the Master ordered her.

Feeling sick to her stomach, Clara began a long day of cleaning up the now dried blood from the carpet and walls. Even though she didn't want to know, she was curious as to whom the blood belonged to and what had happened to the poor person.

The Master had used the TARDIS and had brought back the Toclafane to London. Clara had nearly broken apart when she learned what the Toclafane really were. She wished she could help them, but they didn't want to be helped. They believed the Master was amazing and going to help them take over the universe.

It was only when she learned that the poor TARDIS had been turned into a Paradox Machine that she knew why the universe hadn't been split in two like it should have.

Hands red from all the scrubbing, Clara was then taken to the Cabinet Room, where the Master was going to address the Britain.

"Britain, Britain, Britain," he said, standing in front of the fireplace. "What extraordinary times we've had. Just a few years ago, this world was so small. And then they came, out of the unknown, falling from the skies. You've seen it happen—Big Ben destroyed, a spaceship over London. All those ghosts and metal men. The Christmas star that came to kill. Time and time again, the government told you nothing. Well, not me. Not Harold Saxon. Because my purpose here today is to tell you this—citizens of Great Britain...I have been contacted. A message for humanity from beyond the stars."

He nodded to the cameraman, who started playing the clip of the Toclafane that they had pre-filmed.

"People of the Earth, we come in peace," the Toclafane said in a female voice. "We bring great gifts. We bring technology and wisdom and protection. And all we ask in return is your friendship."

Clara gave a soft scoff and rolled her eyes.

"Ooh, sweet," the Master said. "And this species has identified itself. They're called the Toclafane. And tomorrow morning, they will appear. Not in secret, but to all of you. Diplomatic relations with a new species will begin. Tomorrow, we take our place in the universe. Every man, woman, and child. Every teacher and chemist and lorry driver and farmer. And every...oh, I don't know...medical student?"

Clara was jerked back by the leash and handcuffs as she tried to rush forward in protest. The Master looked at the guard and gave a nod. The guard yanked Clara back and put his hand over her mouth to keep her from speaking out. She glared at the Master, tears coming down her cheeks. The Master only smiled at her cruelly and wiggled his fingers at her.

After the cameras had been shut off, Clara got handcuffed to a chair in the room, glaring at the Master, as he listened in on Martha's calls. Duct-tape had been put on her mouth to keep her from saying anything.

"Leo!" Martha said on her mobile. Clara had sighed in relief to know that she was alive. That must've meant that the Doctor and Jack were also alive. "Oh, thank goodness! Leo, you gotta listen to me. Where are you?"

"I'm in Brighton," Leo said from the other end of the line. "We came down with Boxer. Did you see that Saxon thing on telly?"

"Leo, just listen to me," Martha said. "Don't go home, I'm telling you. Don't phone Mum or Dad or Tish. You've gotta hide."

"Shut up," Leo said in a disbelieving voice.

"On my life," Martha said. "You've gotta trust me. Go to Boxer's. Stay with him. Don't tell anyone! Just hide!"

"Ooh, a nice little game of hide-and-seek," the Master said, finally interrupting. "I love that. But I'll find you, Martha Jones. Been a long time since we saw each other. Must be, what, one hundred trillion years?"

"Let them go, Saxon," Martha burst out. "Do you hear me?! Let them go!"

The Master smiled at Clara.

"Mmhh!" she got out, muffled by the duct-tape.

"I'm here," came the Doctor's voice then.

The smiled dropped off the Master's face and he took the phone off speaker and put it up to his ear.

"Doctor," he said.

Clara couldn't hear the Doctor's half of the conversation, so she only got the Master's.

"I like it when you use my name," the Master said.

Clara got an odd look on her face, thinking what the Master had said was odd.

"As you chose yours," the Master said. "The man who makes people better. How sanctimonious is that? I know. It's good, isn't it? Do you remember all those fairy tales about the Toclafane when we were kids? Back home. Where is it, Doctor? How can Gallifrey be gone? And the Time Lords?"

It was Clara's turn to smirk at the Master. The duct-tape hurt her cheeks and mouth doing it, but it was worth it.

"The Time Lords only resurrected me because they knew I'd be the perfect warrior for the Time War," the Master said. "I was there when the Dalek Emperor took control of the Cruciform. I saw it. I ran. I ran so far. Made myself human so they would never find me because...I was so scared."

_Good_, Clara thought, glaring at the Master again.

"All of them?" the Master asked the Doctor. "But now you, which must mean...What did it feel like, though? Two almighty civilizations burning. Oh, tell me, how did it feel?"

Clara struggled against the handcuffs, knowing that the Master was deliberately choosing this topic to hurt the Doctor. The Master smirked at her.

"You must have been like god," the Master said. "Are you asking me on a date? Too late. The drumming."

The Master started to drum his fingers on the table in a rhythm of four.

"I thought it would stop, but it never does. Never ever stops. Inside my head, the drumming, Doctor. The constant drumming. It's everywhere. Listen, listen, listen. Here come the drums. Here come the drums. Ooh, look. You're on TV."

The Master had switched on the telly in the room to see the Doctor's, Jack's, and Martha's pictures as Britain's most wanted.

"No, really," the Master said. "You're on telly! You and your little band, minus your little girlfriend, which, by the way, is ticking every demographic box. So, congratulations on that. Look, where you are! Ha!"

"...They are known to be armed and extremely dangerous," the newsreader said on the telly.

"You're public enemies number one, two, and three," the Master said. "Oh, and you can tell handsome Jack that I've sent his little gang off on a wild goose chase to the Himalayas so he won't be getting any help from them. Now, go on, off you go. Why not start by turning to the right?"

On screen, there was a picture of the Doctor standing outside of an electronic shop, looking up at a CCTV camera. He used his sonic screwdriver on the camera, blowing it up.

"Oh, you public menace," the Master said. "Better start running. Go on. Run! But before you go..."

He walked over and ripped the tape off of Clara's mouth, making her cry out in pain.

"Your little girlfriend would like to say something," the Master said.

"Doctor! Don't come! It's what he wants! Don't-" Clara shouted, before the Master put the tape back over her mouth.

"Run for your life, Doctor!" the Master said into the phone. "I said, run!"

Clara was taken back to her room for the evening, until the Master needed her again. The guard came for her later that night, escorting her to the Master and Lucy.

"Ah, there's my pet," the Master said, taking her leash.

Clara didn't say anything, only stared. She felt a bit like Princess Leia in Return of the Jedi, when she was Jabba's slave and prisoner.

Thrown in a car, Clara moved over as far as she could in disgust as the Master followed, along with Lucy. They drove to the tarmac, where the Master was meeting with the American President.

Clara was kept back with the soldiers that were guarding the tarmac with their guns. She could feel something in the back of her mind, but ignored it.

"Mr. President, sir!" the Master said, saluting President Winters.

"Mr. Saxon," the President said. "The British Army will stand down. From now on, UNIT has control of this operation."

"You make it sound like an invasion," the Master said.

"First contact policy was decided by the Security Council in 1968," the President said. "And you've just gone and ignored it."

"Well, you know what it's like," the Master said. "New job, all that paperwork. I think it's down the back of the settee. I did have a quick look. I found a pen, a sweet, a bus ticket, and uh...have you met the wife?"

Clara felt that nagging feeling in her mind again, but again, she pushed it away.

"Mr. Saxon, I'm not sure what your game is, but there are provisions at the United Nations to have you removed from office unless you are very, very careful. Is that understood?" President Winters asked.

The Master made a sign of zipping his lips shut.

"Are you taking this seriously?" the President asked and the Master nodded. "To business. We've accessed your files on these...Toclafane. First contact cannot take place on any sovereign soil. For that purpose, the aircraft carrier _Valiant_ is en route. The rendezvous will take place there at 8:00 a.m."

The Master tried to talk through his 'zipped' lips.

"You're trying my patients, sir," President Winters said.

The Master unzipped his lips and said, "So, America is completely in charge?"

"Since Britain elected an ass, yes," President Winters said and Clara grinned. "I'll see you onboard the _Valiant_."

"It still will be televised, though, won't it?" the Master asked. "Because I promised, and the whole world is watching."

"Since it's too late to pull out, the whole world will be watching," President Winters said. "Me."

Clara looked over to where the nagging feeling was pulling her, but didn't see anything. She thought she saw something out of the corner of her eyes, but dismissed it as the Master tugged on her leash to pull her back to the car.

A police van pulled up then, and the Master ran over to it, nearly pulling Clara's wrists off. Martha's family was taken out of the van and Clara felt sorry for them.

"Hi guys!" the Master said, laughing, greeting them like they were old friends. "All will be revealed!"

Clara was transferred to a Land Rover, along with Martha's family.

"He got you, too, huh?" Martha's sister, Tish said.

"Been here eighteen months," Clara said, tugging on her handcuffs.

"And the Doctor?" Tish asked.

"I dunno," Clara said. "I haven't seen him in the eighteen months I've been here. Though, I did see him on the telly, along with Martha and our friend Jack as Britain's most wanted."

"See? I told you he was dangerous," Mrs. Jones said.

"Oi! Shut it!" Clara snapped. "He's the one that's gonna save your life and everyone else's lives."

"Thank you," Mr. Jones said, smiling slightly, despite their situation.

"Okay, now everyone stay calm," Clara said. "They're going to transfer us to the _Valiant_, and we need to do everything we can do to help the Doctor."

There were guards posted everywhere as the car stopped on a large tarmac with a jet on it. They were stuffed into the cargo hold and all huddled together in the dark as the jet took off. About an hour later, they were yanked out of the cargo hold and onto the _Valiant_.

Martha's family were place in servant outfits, same as Clara, and locked in separate rooms. When the Master was ready, he had just Clara taken to the conference room that had several cameras and secret service agents everywhere.

"I want the whole thing branded in my sort of honest, not the United Nations'. Got that?" President Winters asked.

"Anything I can do?" the Master asked the President. "I could make tea or isn't that American enough? I don't know, I could make grits. What are grits, anyway?"

"If you could just sit," President Winters said.

Clara and the Jones family were kept in the back of the room, under restrain. After a year and a half, Clara was sick of the handcuffs.

"Two minutes, everyone!" President Winters said. "According to the treaty, all armed personnel are requested to leave the flight deck immediately. Thank you. Broadcasting at 7:58 with the arrival timed at 0800 precisely. And, uh, good luck to all of us."

Clara wished she could sit down, as her feet were killing her. The Master had made her wear black heels as part of her maid outfit. It had seemed as if he had picked out the most uncomfortable pair in the whole world.

"My fellow Americans, patriots, people of the world...I stand before you today as ambassador for humanity, a role I will undertake with utmost solemnity. Perhaps our Toclafane cousins an offer us much, but that is important is not that we gain material benefits, but that we learn to see ourselves anew. For as long as man has looked to the stars, he has wondered what mysteries they hold. Now we know we are not alone..." President Winters addressed to the cameras.

"Hiya," someone whispered by Clara's ear.

She turned and thought she saw Jack, but her eyes slid to the side.

"Clara," the Doctor's voice said in her ear.

"Doctor?" she whispered.

"We're here," the Doctor whispered. Clara wished that she could embrace him and kiss him, but she knew that it would draw attention to the Doctor.

"I can't see you," Clara said.

"Perception filters on our TARDIS keys," he whispered back. "We'll get you out of here."

"You have a plan?" she whispered.

"Oh, yes," the Doctor said.

"Right, and it is?" she asked.

"Get my key around the Master's neck to cancel out his perception," the Doctor said.

"Alright, good luck," Clara said.

"And I ask you now, I ask of the human race, to join with me in welcoming our friends. I give you the Toclafane," President Winters said.

Several of the spheres appeared around him.

"My name is Arthur Coleman Winters, President-Elect of the United States of America and designated representative of the United Nations. I welcome you to the planet Earth and its associated moon."

"You're not the Master," one of the Toclafane said.

"We like the Mr. Master," a second one said.

"We don't like you," a third Tolcafane said.

"I...can be Master, if you so wish," the President said.

"Man is stupid," one of the Toclafane said.

"Master is our friend," the first Toclafane said.

"Where's my Master, pretty please?" the second Toclafane asked.

"Oh, all right then," the Master said, standing. "It's me. Ta-da! Sorry. Sorry, I have this effect. People just get obsessed. Is it the smile? Is it the aftershave? Is it the capacity to laugh at myself? I don't know. It's crazy!"

"Saxon, what are you talkin' about?" President Winters asked.

"I'm taking control, Uncle Sam," the Master said seriously. "Starting with you. Kill him."

One of the Toclafane shot President Winters and disintegrated him and everyone in the room started to panic and tried to leave.

"Guards!" the Master said, laughing.

"Nobody move! Nobody move!" one of the guards shouted.

"Now then, peoples of the Earth, please attend carefully," the Master said into the cameras.

The Doctor suddenly rushed forward and Clara could see him.

"Stop him!" a guard shouted.

Two guards grabbed the Doctor and yanked him to his knees. Clara tried to move forward, but was restrained.

"We meet at last, Doctor," the Master said. "Oh, ho! I love saying that!"

"Stop this! Stop it now!" the Doctor said.

"As if a perception filter's gonna work on me," the Master said. "Oh, and look, it's the girlie and the freak. Although, I'm not sure which one's which."

Jack rushed at the Master and the Master fired his laser screwdriver at Jack, falling him to the floor, dead.

"Laser screwdriver, who'd have sonic?" the Master said, smug. "And the good thing is, he's not dead for long. I get to kill him again!"

Martha went to Jack and so did Clara, after she'd jerked out of the guard's grip.

"Master, just calm down," the Doctor said. "Just look at what you're doing. Just stop. If you could see yourself..."

"Oh, do excuse me, little bit of personal business. Back in a minute," the Master said to the camera, sighing. He then turned to the guards. "Let him go."

The guards pushed the Doctor forward, making him fall to the floor.

"It's that sound, the sound in your head," the Doctor said. "What if I could help?"

"Oh, how to shut him up?" the Master asked. "I know. Memory Lane! Professor Lazarus. Remember him? And his genetic manipulation device? Did you think that little Tish got that job merely by coincidence? I've been laying traps for you all this time. And if I can concentrate all that Lazarus technology into one little screwdriver. But, ooh, if I only had the Doctor's biological code. Oh, wait a minute, I do! I've got his hand! And if Lazarus made himself younger, what if I reverse it? Another hundred years?"

The Master aimed his laser screwdriver at the Doctor, who started writhing and screaming in pain as his genetic makeup started to age. Beside Martha and Clara, Jack came back. He handed Martha his vortex manipulator and said, "Teleport," to both Clara and Martha.

Clara was watching the Doctor in horror, her heart breaking.\

"I can't," Martha said.

"We can't stop him," Jack said. "Get out of here, both of you. Get out."

The Master stopped torturing the Doctor, who now had the body of an old man. Clara immediately rushed to his side.

"Doctor," she whispered, tears coming. Martha crawled to the Doctor's side right after Clara.

"Doctor, I've got you," Martha said.

"How touching," the Master said, when Clara had gotten to the Doctor first. "Aw, she's a would-be doctor. But tonight, Martha Jones, we've flown 'em in all the way from prison-"

The door to the conference room slid open and several guards escorted in Martha's mum, dad, and Tish.

"Mum," Martha said.

"I'm sorry," Francine said, crying.

"The Toclafane, who are they? Who are they?" the Doctor asked, breathing heavily. Clara felt her heart breaking all over again, wishing she could help the Doctor somehow.

"Doctor, if I told you the truth, your heart would break," the Master said.

"He's right," Clara whispered. "They would break."

She was unable to stop crying, fear and anger going through her. She was ready to kill the Master, but she knew the Doctor would definitely be against that.

"Is it time?" the first Toclafane asked.

"Is it ready?" the third one asked.

"Is the machine singing?" the second Toclafane asked.

"Two minutes past," the Master said, checking his watch. "So! Earthlings. Basically, um, end of the world. Here...come...the drums!"

Music started playing in the room, and Lucy Saxon was dancing to it as the Paradox Machine started and the skies filled with Toclafane outside.

"What do we do, Doctor?" Clara whispered, still crying. The Doctor leaned forward slightly, whispering to Martha and Clara. Clara could only nod, crying too hard to speak.

Martha was also crying as transmissions started to come in from the planet below.

"_Valiant_, this is Geneva! We're getting slaughtered down here!"

"Help us, for goodness sakes! Help us! They're everywhere!"

Martha slowly stood. When Jack had handed Martha the vortex manipulator, he had given Clara his TARDIS key that had the perception filter on it.

"This is London, _Valiant_! This is London calling! What do we do?!"

"I'll see you again," Clara whispered to the Doctor, kissing his forehead. She stood with Martha.

"They're killing us! The Toclafane are killing us!"

Clara glanced at Martha, who nodded. Clara placed her hand on top of Martha's, as Martha activated the teleporter on the manipulator.

Clara gasped for breath as her and Martha landed rather roughly in a field outside of London. London was in near total destruction from the Toclafane.

"Oh, my gosh," she whispered.

"We're coming back," Martha said, as she and Clara ran off towards the woods.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	41. Last of the Time Lords

**The Last of the Time Lords**

**ONE YEAR LATER...**

Clara was weary as the boat gently touched the shore and the boatman signaled to the figure on the beach with a light. It had been one year since she and Martha had teleported to Earth from the _Valiant_ to stop the Master. One very long and tiring year.

Clara and Martha got out of the boat to meet the figure on the beach, who turned out to be a man in his twenties with a scruffy beard.

"What's your name, then?" Martha asked the man as soon as they were close enough.

"Tom Miligan," the man answered. No need to ask who you two are, the famous Martha Jones and Clara Tyler. How long since you two were last in Britain?"

"365 days," Martha said. "It's been a long year."

"A very long year," Clara said.

The three of them started up the beach, out of sight from possible Toclafane.

"So, what's the plan?" Tom asked.

"This Professor Docherty," Martha said. "We need to see her. Can you get us there?"

"Very important that we see her," Clara said, still slightly iffy about this part of the plan, even though it had been her idea.

"She works in a repair shed, Nuclear Plant 7," Tom said. "I can get you inside. What's all this for? What's so important about her?"

"Sorry, the more you know, the more you're at risk," Martha said.

"It's happened before," Clara said.

"There's a lot of people depending on you two," Tom said. "You're both a bit of a legend."

"What does the legend say?" Martha asked, and Clara was curious.

"That you've both sailed the Atlantic, walked across America," Tom said. "That you're the only people to get out of Japan alive. 'Martha Jones and Clara Tyler,' they say, 'They're gonna save the world.' Bit late for that."

"How come you can drive?" Martha asked, spotting his truck. "Don't you get stopped?"

"Medical staff," Tom said. "Used to be in paediatrics back in the old days. But that gives me a license to travel so I can help out in the labour camps."

"Great," Martha said. "I'm traveling with a doctor."

"Oh, the irony," Clara said, as the three of them got into the truck.

"Story goes that you're both the only people on Earth who can kill him," Tom said. "That you two, and you two alone, can kill the Master stone dead."

Clara squirmed uncomfortably and Martha noticed.

"Just drive," Martha said.

"That's awful-looking," Clara commented as they walked past a monumental statue of the Master in a rocky canyon.

"All over the Earth, those things," Martha said, and Clara nodded. "He's even carved himself into Mount Rushmore."

"Looks terrible now," Clara said.

"Best to keep down," Tom said. "Here we go. The entire south coast of England...converted into shipyards. They bring in slave labour every morning. Break up cars, houses, anything, just for the metal. Building fleet out of scrap."

The sight before them wasn't new to Martha and Clara. There were nuclear missiles as far as the eye could see, stretching on before them.

"You should see Russia," Martha said.

"It's huge," Clara said.

"It's Shipyard Number One," Martha said, nodding. "All the way from the Black Sea to the Bering Strait. There's 100,000 rockets, ready for war."

"War? With who?" Tom asked.

"The rest of the universe," Martha said.

"Just like the stupid Daleks," Clara said hatefully.

"We've been out there, Tom," Martha said. "In space. Before all this happened. And there's a thousand different civilizations all around us with no idea of what's happening here. The Master can build weapons big enough to devastate them all."

"You've been in space?" Tom asked.

"Problem with that?" Martha asked.

"That's all you got from that?" Clara wondered.\

"No," Tom said, stuttering. "No, just, uh...Wow. Anything else I should know?"

"We've met Shakespeare," Martha said.

"You nearly snogged him," Clara said.

Clara and Martha both froze in place as two Toclafane came up behind them and addressed Tom.

"Identify, little man," the first Toclafane said.

"I-I've got a license," Tom said. "Thomas Miligan, Peripatetic Medical Squad. I'm allowed to travel. I was just checking f-"

"Soon the rockets will fly and everyone will need medicine," one of the Toclafane said. "You'll be so busy."

They laughed and flew away.

"But, they didn't see either of you," Tom said.

"How do you think we traveled the world?" Martha asked, as she and Clara both pulled out their TARDIS keys. The three of them walked back to the truck. "'Cause the Master set up Archangel, that mobile network, 15 satellites around the planet, but really it's transmitting a low-level psychic field. That's how everyone got hypnotized into thinking he was Harold Saxon."

"Saxon," Tom said. "Feels like years ago."

"But the keys are tuned into the same frequency," Martha said. "Makes us sort of...not invisible, just unnoticeable."

"Like we're not really there," Clara said.

"But I can see you," Tom said.

"That's 'cause you wanted to," Martha said, laughing.

"Yeah, I suppose I did," Tom said.

"Is there a Mrs. Miligan?" Martha asked.

"Oh, Martha," Clara groaned.

"No, no," Tom said. "What about you two?"

"No, not really," Martha said.

"Sort of, yeah," Clara said. "But I haven't really seen him in two-and-a-half years."

"That long?" Martha asked.

"Yeah," Clara said. "That two minutes on the _Valiant_ doesn't really count."

"A long time ago," Martha said. "Come on. We've got to find this Docherty woman."

"We'll have to wait until the next work shift," Tom said. "What time is it now?"

"Nearly 3:00," Martha said.

Clara managed to get in a little bit of sleep before they had to move on. They approached the shed where Professor Docherty worked and Tom cut a hole in the chain-link fence. They three of them slipped through and ran across the open area before reaching where they needed to be. Professor Docherty was an older woman, who was hitting an old monitor when they entered.

Clara just shook her head. Didn't anyone learn that things wouldn't work properly when you hit them?

"Professor Docherty?" Tom asked.

"Busy," the Professor said.

"They, us, they sent word ahead," Tom said. "I'm Tom Miligan. This is Martha Jones and Clara Tyler."

"She can be the Queen of Sheba for all I care," Docherty said. "I'm still busy."

"Televisions don't work anymore," Martha said.

"'Specially if you hit them," Clara muttered under her breath.

"Oh, I miss _Countdown_," Docherty said. "Hasn't been the same since Des took over. Both Deses. What's the plural of Des? Desii? Deseen? But we've been told there's gonna be a transmission."

She started banging on the monitor with a little more vigour.

"From the man himself," she said, as static appeared on screen. "There."

There was a black and white shot of the Master.

"My people," the Master said. "Salutations on this, the eve of war. Lovely woman. But I know there's all sorts of whispers down there. Stories of two children, walking the Earth, giving you hope. But I ask you...how much hope as this man got?"

Clara gasped as the Master walked over to the Doctor, who was still an old man.

"Say hello, Gandalf," the Master said. "Except he's not _that_ old, but he's an alien with a much greater lifespan than you stunted, little apes. What if it showed? What if I suspend your capacity to regenerate? All 900 years of your life, Doctor. What if we could see them?"

Clara had to turn away from the screen and the Master once again, used the laser screwdriver on the Doctor, aging him even more.

"Older and older and older," the Master said. "Down you go, Doctor. Down, down, down you go. Doctor."

Clara peeked at the screen and saw a large domed head of the Doctor peering out of a pile of suit with large, blinking eyes. She just about lost it then.

"Received and understood, Miss Jones and Miss Tyler?" the Master said, and then the transmission ended.

Clara quickly wiped her tears away, hoping they wouldn't show.

"I'm sorry," Tom said.

"The Doctor's still alive," Martha said, smiling at Clara.

This had been one of Clara's fears, traveling the world for a year, that the Doctor would be dead before they could finish anything.

"And this only makes me more determined," Clara said, smiling back.

"Obviously the Archangel Network would seem to be...the Master's greatest weakness," Docherty said. "15 satellites all around the Earth...still transmitting. That's why there's so little resistance. It's broadcasting a telepathic signal that keeps people scared."

"We could just take them out," Tom suggested.

"We could," Docherty said. "15 ground-to-air missiles. You got any on you? Besides, any military action, the Toclafane descend."

"They're not called Toclafane," Martha said. "That's a name the Master made up."

"Then what are they, then?" Docherty asked.

"That's why we came to find you. Know your enemy," Martha said, with a knowing glance to Clara. "We've got this."

She pulled out a CD and showed it to Docherty.

"No one's been able to look at a sphere close up. They can't even be damaged. Except once. The lightning strike in South Africa brought one of them down. Just by chance. I've got readings on this."

Docherty took the CD from Martha and put it in the computer she had nearby. She banged on the computer a few times before it worked.

"Oh, whoever thought we'd miss Bill Gates," Docherty said.

"So, is that why you both traveled the world? To find a disc?" Tom asked.

"No," Martha said. "Just got lucky."

"Very lucky," Clara said.

"I heard stories that you both walked the Earth to find a way to build a weapon," Docherty said. Clara glanced at Martha. "There! A current of 58.5 kilo amperes transferred charge of 510 megajoules precisely."

"Can you recreate that?" Tom asked.

"I think so," Docherty said. "Easily, yes."

"All right then, Dr. Milligan, we're gonna get us a sphere," Martha said.

Clara was crouched outside, with Martha, waiting on Tom. He was supposed to shoot his gun to attract a sphere, then book it towards Martha and Clara, where Professor Docherty had the electricity waiting.

"He's coming!" Martha shouted to Docherty. "You ready!?"

"You do your job, I'll do mine!" Docherty said.

"Now!" Tom shouted, running past them.

Docherty turned on the power and the sphere was caught in the electrical field. The sphere dropped to the ground and Clara, Martha, Tom, and Docherty approached it. Tom aimed his gun at the sphere, just in case.

"That's only half the job," Docherty said. "Let's find out what's inside."

Clara knew what was inside, but she just couldn't bear to tell Martha. She felt that Martha had to find out for herself.

Docherty had the sphere on a table, working on opening it.

"There's some sort of magnetic clamp," Docherty said. "Hold on, I'll just trip the—Oh, my gosh!"

The clamp opened and she pulled back the sides of the sphere. Clara stayed back as Tom and Martha peered inside. The three of them jumped back, startled as the sphere lit up and the head's eyes opened.

"It's alive," Docherty said.

"Of course it is," Clara said. "It's a head."

"Martha. Martha Jones," the sphere said.

"It knows you," Tom said.

"Sweet, kind Martha Jones," the sphere said. "You helped us fly."

"What do you mean?" Martha asked.

"You led us to salvation," the sphere said.

"Who are you?" Martha asked.

"The skies are made of diamonds," the sphere said.

"No," Martha said, backing away. "You can't be him."

"It is," Clara said sadly.

"We share each other's memories," the sphere said. "You sent him to Utopia."

"Oh, my gosh!" Martha said.

"What's it talking about?" Tom asked. "What's it mean?"

"What are they?" Docherty said.

"Martha," Tom said. "Clara, tell us. What are they?"

"They're us," Martha said. "They're humans. The human race from the future."

"The spheres all over the world are humans," Clara said.

"I'd sort of worked it out, with the paradox machine," Martha said. "Because the Doctor said, on the day before the Master came to power, he said that he was stealing the TARDIS and the only thing he could do was fuse the coordinates. He said he locked them permanently."

"Meaning that the Master could only travel between the year 100 trillion and the last place the TARDIS landed, which is London, our time," Clara said.

"So, the Master had the TARDIS, this time machine, but the only other place he could go was the end of the universe," Martha said. "So, he found Utopia."

"And the humans," Clara said.

"The Utopia Project was the last hope," Martha said. "Trying to find a way to escape the end of everything."

"There was no solution, no diamonds," the sphere said. "Just the dark and the cold. But then the Master came with his wonderful time machine to bring us back home."

"But that's a paradox," Docherty said. "If you're the future of the human race, and you've come back to murder your ancestors, you should cancel yourselves out. You shouldn't exist."

"And that's the paradox machine," Martha said.

"Makes sure the paradox doesn't happen," Clara said.

"What about us?" Tom asked. "Why kill us?"

"Because it's fun!" the sphere said, laughing madly.

"No!" Clara cried, running forward, as Tom shot the sphere. "You didn't have to kill it."

"One less sphere, right?" Tom asked.

The four of them moved to Docherty's living quarters.

"I think it's time we had the truth, Miss Jones and Miss Tyler," Docherty said. "The legend says you've both traveled the world to find a way of killing the Master. Tell us, is it true?"

"Just before we escaped, the Doctor told us..." Martha said, then trailed off. "The Doctor and the Master, they've been coming to Earth for years. And they've been watched."

Martha pulled a case out of her pack that she had been carrying with her for a year.

"There's UNIT and Torchwood, all studying Time Lords in secret," Martha said. "And they made this. The ultimate defense."

Martha opened the case to reveal the special gun that they had spent a year finding.

"All you need to do is get close," Tom said. "I can shoot the Master dead with this."

He held up his gun.

"Actually, you can put that down now, thank you very much," Docherty said.

"Point is, it's not easy to kill a Time Lord," Martha said. "They can regenerate; literally bring themselves back to life."

"Seen it done several times," Clara said.

"Ah, the Master's immortal," Docherty said. "Wonderful."

"Except for this," Martha said, picking up the gun from the case. "Four chemicals, slotted into the gun, inject him...kills a Time Lord permanently."

"Four chemicals?" Tom asked. "You've only got three."

"Still need the last one 'cause the components of this gun were kept safe, scattered across the world," Martha said. "And we found them. San Diego, Beijing, Budapest, and London."

"Pain to find them," Clara said.

"Then where is it?" Tom asked.

"There's an old UNIT base, north London," Martha said. "We've found the access codes. Tom, you've got to get us there."

"Thank you for your help, Professor Docherty," Clara said, as Martha, Tom, and Clara took their leave.

"We can't go across London in the dark," Tom said. "It's full of wild dogs; we'd get eaten alive. We can wait till the morning, then go with the medial convoy."

"You can spend the night here, if you like," Docherty offered.

"No, we can get halfway, stay at the slave quarters in Bexley," Tom said. "Professor, thank you."

"Good luck," Docherty said.

"Thanks," Martha said, kissing Docherty on the cheek.

"Martha, Clara, could you do it? Docherty asked. "Could you actually kill him?"

"Got no choice," Martha said.

"After everything he's put me through, yeah," Clara said.

"You two might be many things, but you don't look like killers to me," Docherty said.

"You never know," Clara said, as they left.

Tom, Martha, and Clara snuck down a dark street that was lined with houses. They had to sneak past several guards and ran up to one of the houses.

"Let me in," Tom said, knocking. "It's Milligan."

The door opened and the three of them rushed in before they could be spotted by the guards. The house was very crowed, people everywhere.

"Did you bring food?" one woman asked.

"Couldn't get any," Tom said. "And I'm starving.

"All we've got is water," the woman said.

"I'm sorry," Martha said.

"I wish we could have brought some food," Clara said.

"It's cheaper than building barracks," Tom said to them. "Pack them in, 100 in each house, ferry them off to the shipyards every morning."

"Are you Martha Jones and Clara Tyler?" a younger boy asked.

"Yeah, that's us," Martha said.

"Can you do it?" the boy asked. "Can you kill him? They said you both can kill the Master, can you? Tell us you can do it. Please tell us you can do it."

"Who is the Master?" a woman asked and everyone started talking at once.

"Come on, just leave them alone," Tom said. "They're exhausted."

"No, it's all right," Martha said. "They want us to talk and we will."

"That's why we're here," Clara said.

Clara and Martha both sat on the staircase, surrounded by all the people in the house.

"Clara and I traveled the world," Martha started. "From the ruins of New York, to the fusion mills of China, right across the radiation pits of Europe. And everywhere we went, we saw people just like you, living as slaves. But if Martha Jones and Clara Tyler became legends, then that's wrong because our names aren't important. There's someone else."

"Someone even more important that us," Clara said.

"The man who sent us out there," Martha said. "The man who told us to walk the Earth. His name is the Doctor. He has saved your lives so many times, and you never even knew he was there. He never stops. He never stays. He never asks to be thanked. But we've seen him. We know him."

"I love him," Clara said.

"And we know what he can do," Martha said.

"Which is to save the universe," Clara said.

The woman that greeted them at the door pushed her way forward.

"It's him!" she exclaimed. "It's him! Oh, my gosh, it's him! It's the Master! He's here!"

"But he never comes to Earth!" the boy said, as Martha stood. "He never walks upon the ground!"

"Hide them!" the woman said.

"Use this!" Tom said, throwing a blanket at the people on the stairs.

"Martha! Clara!" they could hear the Master calling from the street outside. "Martha Jo-hones! Clara Ty-hi-ler! I can see you! Out you come, little girls. Come and meet your master. Anybody? Nobody? No? Nothing? Positions! I'll give the order unless you both surrender. Ask yourselves—what would the Doctor do?"

Clara looked at Martha and they both nodded to each other. They both removed their TARDIS keys and shook the cover off of themselves. Everyone started looking at them. Tom was at the door, gun waiting. Martha put her hand on the gun and he slowly stood aside, letting her and Clara pass. Clara took a deep breath before she followed Martha outside, where the Master was waiting.

"Oh, yes!" the Master exclaimed, clapping. "Oh, very well done! Good girls! He trained you both well. Bag. Give me the bag. No, stay there. Just throw it."

Martha took off the bag she was wearing and threw it to the ground. The Master fired his laser screwdriver at it, destroying everything that was inside it, including the gun.

"And now, good companions, your work is done," the Master said, pointing his screwdriver at Martha and Clara.

"No!" Tom shouted, running out into the street with his gun.

The Master shot Tom with his screwdriver and Tom fell to the ground, dead. Clara had to bite her lips shut so she wouldn't say anything and also become victim to the laser screwdriver.

"But you two...when you die, the Doctor should be witness, hm?" the Master said. "Almost dawn, Martha and Clara. And planet Earth marches to war."

Martha and Clara were both taken back to the _Valiant_ with the Master, where they were then escorted to the conference room by some guards. Martha's family was off to one side, and Jack, the other. The Doctor was at the base of the stairs in his cage. Clara gave him a smile to let him know that they were alright.

"Citizens of Earth, rejoice and observe," the Master said. "Your teleport device. In case you thought I'd forgotten."

Martha dug in her pocket and then tossed him the vortex manipulator.

"And now...kneel," the Master said, and Clara and Martha both complied. "Down below, the fleet is ready to launch. Two hundred thousand ships, set to burn across the universe. Are we ready?"

"The fleet awaits your signal," said a man on the comm link. "Rejoice!"

"Three minutes to align the black hole converters," the Master said. "Counting down!"

There was a huge clock on the wall that started counting down from three minutes.

"I never could resist a ticking clock," the Master said. "My children, are you ready?"

"We will fly and blaze and slice!" the spheres said. "We will fly and blaze and slice!"

"At zero, to mark this day, the children, Martha Jones and Clara Tyler, will die," the Master said. "Ha, my first blood. Ha, any last words? No? Such disappointments, these two. Days of old, Doctor, you had companions who could absorb the time vortex. Oh, wait, I have her! This one's useless!" he said of Martha. "Bow your heads. And so, it falls to me, the Master of all, to establish from this day, a new order of Time Lords! From this day forward-"

He broke off as Martha chuckled and Clara snorted.

"What? What's so funny?" the Master asked.

"A gun?" Martha scoffed.

"Really?" Clara said, and shook her head.

"What about it?" the Master asked.

"A gun in four parts?" Martha asked.

"Yes, and I destroyed it," the Master said.

"A gun in four parts scattered across the world?" Martha said. "I mean, come on. Did you _really_ believe that?"

"Seriously? Gullible much?" Clara asked.

"What do you mean?" the Master asked.

"As if I would ask them to kill," the Doctor said from his cage.

"Oh, well, it doesn't matter. I've got them exactly where I want them," the Master said.

"But we knew what Professor Docherty would do," Martha said. "The Resistance knew about her son."

"We knew she'd turn us in," Clara said. "All for her son."

"We told her about the gun, so she'd get us here," Martha said. "At the right time."

"Oh, but you're both still gonna die!" the Master said.

"Don't you wanna know what we were doing?" Martha asked. "Traveling the world?"

"Tell me," the Master said.

"We told a story, that's all," Martha said. "No weapons, just words. We did just what the Doctor said. We went across the continents, all on our own. And everywhere we went, we found the people, and we told them our story."

"We told them about the Doctor, and how he saves everyone," Clara said, smirking.

"And we told them to pass it on, to spread the word so that everyone would know about the Doctor," Martha said.

"Faith and hope?" the Master scoffed. "Is that all?"

"No, 'cause we gave them an instruction. Just as the Doctor said," Martha said, standing, then helping Clara up as well. "We told them that if everyone thinks of one word, at one specific time-"

"The countdown," Clara said.

"Nothing will happen!" the Master said. "Is that your weapon?! Prayer!?"

"Right across the world," Martha said. "One word, just one thought, at one moment...but with 15 satellites!"

"What?" the Master asked.

"Your Archangel Network," Jack said.

"A telepathic field binding the whole human race together, with all of them, every single person on Earth, thinking the same thing at the same time," Martha said, and Clara gave the Master a 'in your face' look. "And that word...is Doctor."

Clara grinned as the countdown reached zero and a glowing ring formed around the Doctor.

"Stop it," the Master said. "No, no, no, no, you don't!"

"Doctor," Clara said, closing her eyes, smiling.

"Stop this right now! Stop it!" the Master shouted. All around the room, and the world, people were closing their eyes and saying, "Doctor."

"Doctor," Clara said, opening her eyes.

The Doctor was now an old man again, the ring still around him. He had broken out of the cage and was hovering above the floor.

"I've had a whole year to tune myself into the psychic network and integrate with its matrices," the Doctor said.

"I order you to stop!" the Master said.

The Doctor was himself again, just like before any of this had happened.

"The one thing you can't do," the Doctor said. "Stop them thinking."

Martha and Clara embraced, laughing. Clara gave a laugh of glee when she saw the Master's face, which was pure shock.

"Tell me the human race is degenerate now when they can do this," the Doctor said, levitating towards the Master. Martha ran to hug her family, while Clara went to Jack, who looked worse for wear.

"No!" the Master shouted, firing his laser screwdriver at the Doctor, but the field around him deflected it.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said. "I'm so sorry."

"Then I'll kill them!" the Master said, aiming his screwdriver at Martha and her family. The Doctor threw his screwdriver across the room telekinetically. "You can't do this! You can't do—it's not fair!"

"And you know what happens now," the Doctor said.

"No!" the Master said, backing away from the Doctor down the stairs. "No! No! No!"

"You wouldn't listen," the Doctor said.

"No!" the Master said.

"Because you know what I'm going to say," the Doctor said.

"No!" the Master shouted again, curling into a fetal position. The Doctor landed and walked over to a whimpering Master and wrapped his arms around him in an embrace.

"I forgive you," the Doctor said.

"My children!" the Master shouted.

"Captain! The paradox machine!" the Doctor shouted.

"You men! With me! You stay here!" Jack said to the guards and then to Clara.

"No way," Clara said, then the Master pulled out the vortex manipulator and activated it.

The Doctor shouted, "No!" before both he and the Master disappeared.

"Doctor!" Clara shouted, before Jack pulled her back.

"There's nothing you can do," Jack said, before running off with Clara following him.

One of the guards gave Clara a gun as they reached the TARDIS. There were three spheres guarding the TARDIS, so the guards and Clara stayed back, though still firing at the spheres. Clara knew this might be the only time she actually got to use a gun, so she helped best she could. Not that she could aim much.

"Can't get in," one guard said. "We'd get slaughtered!"

"Yeah. Happens to me a lot," Jack said.

They finally got the spheres down, and Clara rushed after Jack into the TARDIS, where they both started firing away at the casing around the machine, causing sparks and destroying the paradox machine.

Running back through the corridors, Clara nearly fell as everything shook, only to be caught by Jack.

"Thanks," she said.

"Don't mention it," he said. "Especially to the Doctor."

Clara laughed as they clung onto anything they could as the shaking continued.

"Aw, shut it, you big flirt," Clara laughed.

As soon as the _Valiant_ stilled, she was off again, heading for the conference room. She rushed at the Doctor first thing, hugging him tightly, as he embraced her back. He swung her around in a circle, before kissing her, then setting her down. He then rushed to the controls and checked them.

"The paradox is broken," he said. "We've reverted back, one year and one day. Two minutes past 8:00 in the morning."

He turned on the comm and there was panic from Earth.

"This is UNIT Central," a man said over the comm. "What's happened up there? We just saw the President assassinated!"

"You see?" the Doctor said. "Just after the President was killed, but just before the spheres arrived. Everything back to normal. Planet Earth restored. None of it happened. The rockets, the terror. It never was."

"The endless walking," Clara muttered.

"What about the spheres?" Martha asked.

"Trapped at the end of the universe," the Doctor said.

"But I remember it," Francine said.

"We're at the eye of the storm. The only ones who'll ever know," the Doctor said, then spotted Clive, Martha's dad. "Oh, hello! You must be Mr. Jones! We haven't actually met."

The Master tried to make a break for it, but Jack stopped him.

"Whoa, big fella! You don't want to miss the party," Jack said. "Cuffs."

He handcuffed the Master behind his back, and Clara shuddered, remembering all the times she was handcuffed.

"So, what do we do with this one?" Jack asked.

"We kill him," Clive said.

"We execute him," Tish said.

"No, that's not the solution," the Doctor said.

"Oh, I think so," Francine said, aiming a gun at the Master. "'Cause all those...things, they still happened because of him. I saw them."

"Go on! Do it!" the Master shouted.

"Francine, you're better than him," the Doctor said, taking her hand. She dropped the gun and he hugged her.

"You still haven't answered the question," the Master said. "What happens to me?"

"You're my responsibility from now on," the Doctor said. "The only Time Lord left in existence."

"Yeah, but you can't trust him," Jack said, walking to the Doctor.

"No," the Doctor said. "The only safe place for him is the TARDIS."

"You mean, you're just gonna...keep me?" the Master asked.

"Hmm. If that's what I have to do," the Doctor said. "It's time to change. Maybe I've been wandering for too long. Now, I'll have someone else to care for," he said, looking at Clara.

A gunshot rang out, startling Clara and the Master staggered backwards. Lucy was holding a gun, aimed at the Master. The Doctor immediately ran for the Master, as Jack took the gun from Lucy.

"Put it down," Jack said.

"There you go," the Doctor said, lowing the Master to the floor. "I've got you . I've got you."

"Always the women," the Master said.

"I didn't see her," the Doctor said.

"Dying in your arms," the Master said. "Happy now?"

"You're not dying, don't be stupid," the Doctor said. "It's only a bullet. Just regenerate."

"No," the Master refused.

"One little bullet," the Doctor said. "Come on."

"I guess you don't know me so well," the Master said. "I refuse."

"Regenerate," the Doctor said, breaking down. "Just regenerate. Please! Please! Just regenerate! Come on!"

"And spend the rest of my life imprisoned with you and red over there?" the Master said. If he wasn't dying, Clara would've punched him then. He was putting the Doctor through so much pain.

"You've got to," the Doctor said. "Come on. It can't end like this. You and me, all the things we've done. Axons? Remember the Axons? And the Daleks? We're the only two left, there's no one else. Regenerate!"

"How about that?" the Master said. "I win. Will it stop, Doctor? The drumming. Will it stop?"

Clara cried along with the Doctor, feeling his pain as the Master then died. The Doctor gave a scream of pain, despair, and loss and Clara shuddered at the sound.

After getting off the _Valiant_ that night, Clara sat at the top of a hill, watching the Doctor down below, lighting the Master's funeral pyre. She wished there was something she could do to help with the Doctor's pain, but she knew he just had to move on.

The Doctor left the pyre and walked to the top of the hill and helped Clara to her feet. Silently, he took her hand and they walked back down to Cardiff, where they had left the TARDIS.

The next morning, the Doctor, Martha, Clara, and Jack were standing at the rails by the Pierhead Building, looking out over the bay. Clara felt like she could actually breath for the first time in a long time.

"Time was, every single one of these people knew your name," Martha said. "Now, they've all forgotten you."

"Good," the Doctor said.

"Back to work," Jack said.

"I really don't mind, though," the Doctor said. "Come with us."

Clara smiled and nodded in agreement.

"I had plenty of time to think that past year, the Year That Never Was," Jack said. "And I kept thinking about that team of mine. Like you said, Doctor, responsibility."

"'Bout time you grew up," Clara teased. "Long way from dancing on an invisible spaceship."

"Defending the Earth," the Doctor said. "Can't argue with that."

He went to shake Jack's hand, but exposed the vortex manipulator that Jack had back on his wrist.

"Hey, I need that!" Jack exclaimed.

"I can't have you walking around with a time-traveling teleport," the Doctor said, using his sonic screwdriver on the manipulator. "You could go anywhere—twice. The second time to apologize."

"And what about me?" Jack asked, looking at Clara. "Can you fix that? Will I ever be able to die?"

Clara felt guilty then. It was her fault that Jack was the way he was.

"Nothing I can do," the Doctor said. "You're an impossible thing, Jack."

"Been called that before," Jack said, before embracing Clara, knowing how bad she felt. He then turned and saluted the Doctor, Clara, and Martha.

"Sir, Madams," he said, then turned to leave and stopped again. "But I keep wondering...what about aging? 'Cause I can't die, but I keep getting older. The odd little gray hair, you know? What happens if I live for a million years?"

"I really don't know," the Doctor said.

"Okay, vanity," Jack said, chuckling. "Sorry. Yeah, can't help it. Used to be a poster boy when I was a kid back on the Boeshane Peninsula. Tiny little place. I was the first one ever to be signed up for the Time Agency. They were so proud of me. The Face of Boe, they called me."

Clara's jaw dropped and her eyes widened.

"Hmm, I'll see you," Jack said, taking off across the plaza to the water tower.

"Can't be," Martha said.

"That's impossible!" Clara said, mouth still hanging open.

"No, definitely not," the Doctor said. "No. No."

The three of them burst out laughing then.

They took Martha back to her family, and Clara stayed inside the TARDIS, while the Doctor was outside. Clara sat on the pilot chair, head leaned back and eyes closed, tired. It felt like it had been years since she had had a proper sleep and was exhausted.

"May I sit here?" the Doctor asked, startling her. She opened her eyes and saw that he was leaning over her, smiling.

"Sure," she said, scooting over.

The Doctor kissed her forehead, then sat beside her, feet propped up on the console. Clara leaned her head over on his shoulder, ready to doze off.

Clara nearly fell over, but jerked upright, as the Doctor jumped up when Martha entered the TARDIS.

"Right then!" he said, as Clara glared at him. "Off we go! The open road! There is a burst of starfire right now over the coast of Meta Sigmafolio. Oh, the sky is like oil on water. Fancy a look? Or...back in time. We could...I don't know, Charles II? Henry VIII? I know! What about Agatha Christie? I'd love to meet Agatha Christie! I bet she's brilliant!"

Clara knew from the look on Martha's face that she wasn't coming with them. She was only there to say goodbye.

"Okay," the Doctor said.

"I just can't," Martha said.

"Yeah," the Doctor said.

"Spent all these years training to be a doctor," Martha said. "Now, I've got people to look after. They saw half the planet slaughtered and they're devastated. I can't leave them."

"Of course not," the Doctor smiled, then hugged her. "Thank you. Martha Jones, you saved the world."

"Yes, I did," Martha said, as Clara got up and hugged Martha as well. "I spent a lot of time with you two thinking I was second best. But you know what? I _am_ good. You two gonna be all right?"

"Always," the Doctor said, putting his arm around Clara's waist. "Yeah."

"We'll be fine," Clara smiled.

"Right, then," Martha said, kissing Clara on the cheek, then the Doctor. She started to leaved, but then stopped and went back inside the TARDIS. "'Cause the thing is, it's like my friend Vicky, she lived with this bloke, student housing, there were five of them, all packed in, and this bloke was called Sean. And she loved him, she did. She completely adored him. Spent all day long talking about him."

"Is this going anywhere?" the Doctor asked.

Clara pulled away from him and smacked his arm as Martha said, "Yes!"

The Doctor nodded and crossed his arms.

"'Cause he never looked at her twice," Martha said. "I mean, he liked her, but that was it. And she wasted years pining after him, years of her life, 'cause while he was around, she never looked at anyone else. And I told her, I always said to her, time and time again, I said, 'Get out.' So this is me, getting out."

While she reached into her pocket, she mouthed sorry to Clara. Clara only smiled and shrugged, knowing it had to be said. Martha pulled out her mobile and tossed it to the Doctor, who caught it.

"Keep that," Martha said. 'Cause I'm not having you disappear. If that rings, _when_ that rings, you'd both better come running. Got it?"

"Got it," the Doctor said.

"I'll make sure he does," Clara said.

"I'll see you again, mister and missy," Martha said, smiling and then left.

"Will you be okay?" Clara asked the Doctor, as he set the TARDIS to dematerialize. She hugged him from behind, leaning her head on his back.

"'Course I will," the Doctor said. "You?"

"Just fine," Clara said, then she fell to the floor, along with the Doctor, as it felt like something crashed into the TARDIS.

"What was that?!" Clara asked, coughing and picking herself up off the floor. Looking up, she saw the bow of an ocean liner sticking through the wall of the TARDIS.

"What!?" the Doctor exclaimed, also coughing. "What?!"

"How did that happen?" Clara asked.

The Doctor picked up a life preserver from the floor and they both read 'TITANIC' on it.

"What?!" the Doctor exclaimed again.


	42. Voyage of the Damned

**Voyage of the Damned**

"What?!" the Doctor exclaimed, after picking up a life preserver that read 'TITANIC.'

"How can it break through the TARDIS?" Clara asked, bewildered. The Doctor had gotten up and was working furiously at the controls. The side of the TARDIS closed up and then the Doctor materialized inside the Titanic.

The Doctor opened the door and looked out, then took Clara's hand and helped her out of the TARDIS. Outside of the closet they seemed to be parked in, there were people around everywhere in 20th century clothing.

"This isn't right," Clara said, seeing all the Christmas decorations and the band was playing 'Jingle Bells.' There were also two robotic golden angels nearby and Clara started as they moved when she and the Doctor moved past them. They walked to the window and looked out.

"Right," the Doctor said, as they were floating in space on a giant ship, right above the Earth.

"Attention all passengers," a man said over the PA. "The Titanic is now in orbit above Sol 3, also known as Earth. Population: Human. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Christmas."

The Doctor and Clara went back to the TARDIS to change. This was clearly a black tie ship and they wanted to blend in. While the Doctor was changing into his tux that Clara loved, she asked the TARDIS to help her find something to wear.

A silky, long, black dress appeared before her.

"Seriously?" she asked, skeptical. The neckline of the dress plunged and on her, it would have gone to the top of her stomach. "Do you want him to have a heart attack?"

All the wardrobes around her closed and locked, and all that was available was that dress, along with a pair of red stilettos. Clara sighed, knowing there was most likely going to be running, but changed anyways, since the TARDIS wouldn't let her have access to any other clothing.

She straightened her hair as best she could and put it up into a bun. She then put on the shoes and went out into the control room where the Doctor was waiting.

"You say one word, I'm gonna kill ya," Clara threatened, as his jaw dropped. "The TARDIS wouldn't let me wear anything else."

"Remind me to thank her," the Doctor said, eyes wide.

"My eyes are up here," Clara said, then marched past him to the door.

The Doctor caught up to her, offering his arm, grinning at her. She rolled her eyes and took his arm.

"Merry Christmas, sir, ma'am," a steward said as they walked toward reception.

"Merry Christmas," the Doctor said, and Clara smiled. She was feeling very uncomfortable in the dress, never having worn anything that sexy before. She really wished she had a t-shirt and jeans.

The Doctor and Clara walked around the room they had been in earlier. They passed a man that Clara instantly didn't like, who was talking on his mobile.

"It's not a holiday for me, not while I've still got my vone. Now, do as I say and sell," the man said in a snotty voice.

"Some people," Clara said, shaking her head as she and the Doctor moved away. The Doctor pulled her over to one of the robotic angels.

"Evening," the Doctor said. "Passengers 57 and 58. Terrible memories. Remind us. Uh, you would be..."

"Information: Heavenly Host supplying tourist information," the robot said.

"Good, so, um...tell me-'cause we're idiots—where are we from?" the Doctor asked, and Clara gave a scoff.

"Information: the Titanic is en route from the planet Sto in the Cassavalian Belt. The purpose of the cruise is to experience primitive cultures," the Host said.

"Titanic," the Doctor said. "Um...who...thought of the name?"

"Information: is was chosen as the most famous vessel of the planet Earth," the Host said.

"Did they tell you why it was famous?" the Doctor asked.

"Information: all designations are chosen by Mr. Max Capricorn, president of Max—Max—Max..." the Host said, going crazy, repeating the last bit over and over.

"Ooh, bit of a glitch," the Doctor said, reaching into his pocket for his sonic screwdriver.

"Sir, we can handle this," a steward said, hurrying over. He waved for assistance and two other stewards came over and switched off the Host, carrying it away. "Software problem, that's all. Leave it with us, sir, ma'am. Merry Christmas."

"That was odd," Clara said.

There was a commotion as a waitress ran into the snotty man, dropping her tray and drinks.

"For Tov's sake, look where you're going!" the man exclaimed. "This jacket's a genuine Earth antique."

"I'm sorry, sir," the waitress said.

Clara felt sorry for the woman as she got down to pick up the broken glass.

"You'll be sorry when it comes off your wages, sweetheart," the man said. "Staffed by idiots. No wonder Max Capricorn is going down the drain."

He then stormed off, leaving the woman to clean up the mess. Clara went over to help the woman clean up the mess, with the Doctor following after her.

"Careful," the Doctor said, as Clara started picking up some glass. "There we go."

"Thank you sir, ma'am," the waitress said. "I can manage."

"I never said you couldn't," the Doctor said. "I'm the Doctor, by the way, and this is Clara."

"Hi," Clara said.

"Astrid, sir, ma'am," the waitress said. "Astrid Peth."

"Nice to meet you, Astrid Peth," the Doctor said. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, sir," Astrid said, surprised by his kindness.

"Just 'Doctor,' not 'sir,'" the Doctor said.

"And I'm just Clara," Clara said, nicking her finger on a piece of glass, but continued picking it up. She was careful to watch her dress, making sure she didn't have any wardrobe malfunctions.

"You both enjoying the cruise?" Astrid asked.

"Um...yeah, I suppose," the Doctor said. "I don't know."

"It's fine," Clara said, standing up, as the glass was gone off the floor.

"What about you?" the Doctor asked. "Long way from home, Planet Sto."

"Doesn't feel that different," Astrid said. "I spent three years working at the spaceport diner, traveled all the way here...and I'm still waiting on tables."

"No shore leave?" the Doctor asked, walking after Astrid with Clara back on his arm.

"We're not allowed," Astrid said, clearing a table by a window. "They can't afford the insurance. I just wanted to try it, just once. I used to watch the ships heading off to the stars and I always dreamt of...It sounds daft."

"You dreamt of another sky," the Doctor said. "New sun, new air, new life. A whole universe teeming with life. Why stand still when they're all out there?"

"It's amazing," Clara said.

"So...you both travel a lot?" Astrid asked.

"All the time," the Doctor said, and Clara nodded. "Just for fun. Well, that's the plan. Never quite works."

"Never works," Clara said.

"Must be rich, though," Astrid said.

"Haven't got a penny," the Doctor said, then lowered his voice to a whisper. "Stowaways."

"Kidding," Astrid said, looking between them.

"Seriously," the Doctor said.

"No!" Astrid said.

"Oh, yeah," the Doctor said.

"How did you both get on board?" Astrid asked.

"Accident," the Doctor said. "I've got this, sort of, ship thing. I was just rebuilding her. Left the defenses down, bumped into the Titanic. Here we are. Bit of a party, we thought, 'Why not'?"

"I should report you," Astrid said.

"Go on then," the Doctor said.

"I'll get you both a drink..." Astrid said, then lowered her voice to a whisper. "...on the house."

"That's rude," Clara said, as she spotted a bunch of yuppie first-class passengers laughing at a heavyset couple who were dressed in bright purple western outfits. She took the Doctor's hand and pulled him over. "C'mon," she said.

"Something's tickled them," the Doctor commented as the pair of them sat down at the table.

"They told us it was fancy dress," the woman said. "Very funny, I'm sure."

"They're just jerks," Clara said, waving her hand dismissively.

"They're just pickin' on us because we haven't paid," the man informed them. "We won our tickets in a competition."

"I had to name the five husbands of Joofie Crystalle in 'By the Light of the Asteroid'," the woman said. "Did you ever watch...?"

"Is that the one with the twins?" the Doctor asked, and Clara gave a quiet snort.

"That's it," the woman said. "Oh, it's marvelous."

"Probably not good enough for that lot," the man said, gesturing to the still laughing yuppies. "They think we should be in steerage."

"You really should care what they think," Clara said. "I wouldn't."

"We can't have them laughing, can we?" the Doctor asked, taking out his sonic screwdriver. He aimed it at a champagne bottle that one of the first-class passengers was holding. The cork popped out and champagne went spraying all over them.

"Did—did you do that?" the woman asked, while Clara burst out laughing.

"Maybe," the Doctor said, while putting his screwdriver away.

"We like you two," the woman said.

"We do," the man said, stretching his hand out to the Doctor first, and then Clara. "I'm Morvin van Hoff. This is my good woman, Foon."

"Foon," the Doctor said, shaking Foon's hand. "Hello, I'm the Doctor and this is _my_ good woman, Clara."

"Oh, stop it," Clara said, giggling.

"Oh, I'm gonna need a Doctor by the time I'm finished with this buffet," Foon said. "Have a buffalo wing. They must be enormous, these buffalo, so many wings."

Clara coughed, swallowing her laugh, not wanting to seem like the rich yuppies that had been laughing at them earlier.

"Attention please," the PA announced. "Shore leave tickets Red 6-7 now activated. Red 6-7."

Foon took out a ticket and said, "Red 6-7. That's us. Are you two Red 6-7?"

"Might as well be," the Doctor said, fishing in his pocket for his psychic paper.

"Come on," Morvin said, putting his arm around Foon. "We're going to Earth."

The Doctor followed Morvin's example and put his arm around Clara as they followed after Morvin and Foon.

They walked up to an older man who was dressed in a tweet suit and was holding up a red sign that read '6-7.'

"Red 6-7. Red 6-7. This way, fast as you can," the man said.

"You should try wearing tweet," Clara told the Doctor.

"Not on your life," he said, looking surprised.

The Doctor and Clara followed after Morvin and Foon and Astrid approached them.

"I got you two that drink," Astrid said to Clara and the Doctor.

"And we've got you a treat," the Doctor said. "Come on."

"A real surprise," Clara said, as the Doctor took the tray from Astrid and set it on a table.

"Red 6-7 departing shortly," the older man said.

The Doctor hold up the psychic paper and said, "Both Red 6-7, plus one."

"Uh, quickly, sir, ma'am, and please take three teleport bracelets, if you would," the older man said.

"I'll get the sack," Astrid whispered to the Doctor and Clara.

"Don't worry," Clara said. "It'll be fine."

"Brand new sky," the Doctor said, handing her and Clara a bracelet. Clara put it on, not really psyched to be going to Earth.

"To repeat, I am Mr. Copper, the ship's historian, and I shall be taking you to old London town in the country of U.K. ruled over by good King Wenceslas. Now, human beings worshiped the great god Santa, and creature with fearsome claws, and his wife, Mary. And every Christmas Eve, the people of U.K. go to war with the country of Turkey. They then eat the Turkey people for Christmas dinner...like savages," the older man said.

Clara hid her grin behind her hand.

"Excuse me, sorry, sorry, but, um...where did you get all this from?" the Doctor asked.

"Well, I have a first class degree in Earthonomics," Mr. Copper said. "Now, stand by..."

"And me! And me! Red 6-7!" a little red alien said, going past Clara and the Doctor. He would have come to Clara's waist (without her red heels, which were killing her feet) and had red spikes all over his head.

"Well, take a bracelet, sir," Mr. Copper said.

"Uh, but, um, hold on, hold on," the Doctor said. "What was your name?"

"Bannakaffalatta," the red alien said.

"Okay, Bannakaffalatta," the Doctor said. "But it's Christmas Eve down there. Late-night shopping, tons of people. He's like a walking conker. No offence, but you'll cause a riot, 'cause the streets are going to be packed with shoppers and parties..."

The Doctor trailed off as they were teleported down to Earth and a very empty street.

"Oh," the Doctor said, looking around.

"Where is everyone?" Clara wondered, also looking around.

"Now, spending money—I have a credit card in Earth currency if you want to buy trinkets or, uh, stockings or the local delicacy, which is known as 'beef' but don't stray too far, it could be dangerous," Mr. Copper said. "Any day now, they start boxing."

The Doctor and Clara were both bewildered, looking around at the lack of people on Christmas Eve of all times.

"It should be full," the Doctor said. "Is should be busy. Something's wrong."

"It odd and impossible," Clara said, still confused.

"But it's beautiful," Astrid said.

"Really?" the Doctor asked, sounding surprised. "Do you think so? It's just a street. The pyramids are beautiful, and New Zealand..."

"But it's a different planet," Astrid said. "I'm standing on a different planet. Th—there's concrete...and shops, alien shops, real alien shops! Look, no stars in the sky. And it smells. It stinks! This is amazing! Thank you!"

She hugged the Doctor, then Clara, who was surprised.

"Yeah?" the Doctor asked. "Come on, then, let's have a look."

There was only one person on the street in a newspaper booth. He was an older man, who was bundled up against the winter weather.

"Hello, there!" the Doctor said. "Sorry, uh, obvious question, but where's everybody gone?"

"Oh-ho, scared!" the older man said.

"Right, yes," the Doctor said. "Scared of what?"

"Where have you been living?" the old man asked. "London at Christmas? Not safe, is it?"

"Why?" the Doctor asked.

"Well, it's them, up above," the man said, pointing at the sky. "Look, Christmas before last, we had that big bloody spaceship, everyone standing on a roof. And then last year, that Christmas Star electrocuting all over the place, draining the Thames."

Clara coughed behind her hand, staring pointedly at the Doctor.

"This place is amazing," Astrid said.

"And this year, Lord knows what," the man said. "So, everybody's scarpered, gone to the country. All except me..and Her Majesty."

He stood up proudly, looking at the tellie he had.

"Her Majesty the Queen has confirmed that she will be staying in Buckingham Palace throughout the festive season to show the people of London, and the world, that there's nothing to fear," the reporter said.

"God bless her!" the man said, saluting. "We stand vigil."

"Well, between you and me, I think her Majesty's got it right," the Doctor said. "Far as I know, this year, nothing to worry about."

The Doctor, Clara, and Astrid were suddenly teleported back to the ship.

"You are gonna totally jinx it," Clara said. "I also wonder what his face looked like."

"I was in mid-sentence," the Doctor said in an annoyed voice.

"Don't worry about it, dear," Clara said, mock-pouting and patting his arm.

"Yes, I'm sorry about that," Mr. Copper said. "A bit of a problem. If I could have your bracelets-"

"Apologies, ladies and gentlemen, Bannakaffalatta, we seem to have suffered a slight power fluctuation," the chief steward said, joining them. "If you'd like to return to the festivities. And on behalf of Max Capricorn Cruseliners, free drinks will be provided."

Clara looked around, making sure no one, not even the Doctor, saw her slipping her bracelet in her clutch, thinking it could come in handy later.

"That was the best, the best!" Astrid said to the Doctor and Clara before leaving.

The Doctor took Clara's hand and pulled her over to the chief steward.

"What sort of power fluctuation?" the Doctor asked him.

"Nothing for you to worry about, sir," the steward said. "Good evening, sir, ma'am."

The Doctor pulled in Clara for a dance after the steward turned away. She gave a happy sigh, resting her head on the Doctor's chest, then gave an irritated sigh as he pulled away, walking over to a screen on the wall.

She gave a growl as she followed after him.

"...and I should know because my name is Max," a video loop of Max Capricorn said.

The Doctor pulled out his brainy spec and then took out his screwdriver, using it on the frame. Clara stood beside him, tapping her foot, annoyed, until the Doctor's eyes widened in panic.

"What is it?" she asked.

He didn't answer, but pulled her over to a window to see meteors approaching. He ran back to the screen to use the comm to the bridge.

"Is that the bridge?" he asked. "I need to talk to the captain. You've got a meteoroid storm coming in West 0 by North 2."

"Who is this?" a voice asked back.

"Never mind that," the Doctor said. "Your shields are down. Check your scanners, Captain. You've got meteoroids coming in and now shielding!"

"You have no authorization," the Captain said. "You will clear the comms at once."

"Yeah? Just look starboard!" the Doctor said.

"There are a lot of people down here, Captain!" Clara exclaimed.

"Come with me, sir, ma'am," the chief steward said, coming to escort them out of reception.

"You've got a rock storm heading for this ship and the shields are down!" the Doctor argued, as they were escorted out.

Clara tried to jerk away, but couldn't. The Doctor succeeded and ran to the stage and jumped up on it.

"Everyone, listen to me!" the Doctor shouted to the crowd. "This is an emergency! Get to the lifeb-"

He was cut off as a Host covered his mouth and pulled him away. The stewards took Clara after him, still trying to get away. The stewards had learned and had her mouth covered, as well.

"Look out the windows!" the Doctor shouted to a small group of people as they passed by. "If you don't believe me, check the shields yourself!"

"Sir, I can vouch for them!" Astrid said.

"The meteoroids are coming!" Clara shouted, then rethought that. She sounded crazy.

"Look, Steward, they've just had a bit too much to drink," Morvin said.

"Sir, something seems to have gone wrong," Mr. Copper said. "All the teleports are down."

"Not now!" the Chief Steward said.

Clara quit struggling as her and the Doctor were drug through the maintenance corridors. Astrid, Mr. Copper, Bannakaffalatta, and the van Hoffs were following after them.

"The shields are down, we are going to get hit," the Doctor insisted and everyone started talking at once.

"Oi! Steward!" the yuppie man whom Astrid had spilled her tray on said. "I'm telling you, the shields are down!"

"Listen to him! Listen to him!" the Doctor shouted.

"He's telling the truth!" Clara said.

A moment later, Clara was thrown to the floor, as was everybody else on the ship. She hit her cheek on something hard, and knew she'd have a bruise there later. Raising her head, she found that it had been the Doctor's shoulder that she had hit her face on.

The Doctor was the first to stand and shushed everybody, listening.

"It's stopping," he said, as the Titanic creaked and groaned, as did Clara. Groaning that is.

Her face was tender and she was sure a bruise was forming already.

"Are you alright?" the Doctor asked, helping Astrid up.

"I think so," Astrid said.

"Clara? Are you okay?" the Doctor asked, coming to help her up, then gasped as he saw her face.

"I'm fine," she said. "Just smacked my face."

The Doctor nodded and said, "Bad name for a ship. Either that or this suit is really unlucky."

"I don't think it's the suit, Hon," Clara said.

The Doctor knelt down to examine one of the stewards to find the man dead.

"Ev—everyone..." the Chief Steward said. "Ladies and gentlemen, Bannakaffalatta, I must apologize on behalf of Max Capricorn Cruiseliners. We seem to have had a small collision."

"Small?" Morvin asked indignantly.

"We tried to warn you," Clara said to the Chief Steward.

"You know how much I paid for my ticket?" the rich man said.

"You know how much nobody cares?" Clara said to him, really not liking the man.

"If I could have silence, ladies, gentlemen..." the Chief Steward said, but everyone, except Clara, ignored him and kept arguing. Clara rubbed her temples, now having a headache from the arguing and the crash.

"Quiet!" the Chief Steward yelled and everyone stopped talking. "Thank you. I—I'm sure Max Capricorn Cruiseliners will be able to reimburse you for any inconvenience. But first, I would point out that we are very much alive."

"Are you all right?" Astrid asked Mr. Copper, who had a cut on his forehead. The Doctor rejoined them and put his arm around Clara's waist.

"She is, after all, a fine, sturdy ship," the Chief Steward said. "If you could all stay here while I ascertain the exact nature of the—the situation."

He went to open a hatch and the Doctor leapt forward.

"Don't open it!" he shouted.

The hatch opened and the Chief Steward was sucked out into space. Clara grabbed onto a nearby pipe, gasping for breath, as the Doctor went to the computer and used his sonic on it.

"Oxygen shield stabilized," the computer said.

"Everyone all right?" the Doctor asked. "Clara? Astrid?"

"Fine," Clara said, gaping for breath.

"Yeah," Astrid panted.

"Foon? Morvin? Mr. Copper? Bannakaffalatta?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes," Bannakaffalatta said.

"You, what was your name?" the Doctor asked the rich yuppie."

"Ah, Rickston Slade," the man said.

"You all right?" the Doctor asked.

"No thanks to that idiot," Rickston said.

"Hey!" Clara shouted, wanting to hit him.

"The steward just died," Astrid said.

"Then he's a dead idiot," Rickston said.

Both Clara and Astrid took a step towards Rickston. The Doctor took Clara's wrist and pulled her back.

"All right, calm down," the Doctor said. "Just stay still, all of you. Hold on."

He walked over to the hatch opening, Clara following him. Astrid joined them.

"What happened?" Astrid asked. "How come the shields were down?"

"I don't think it was an accident," the Doctor said.

"A little too convenient," Clara said, then felt sick. There were bodies floating around in space above the Earth.

"How many dead?" Astrid asked.

"We're alive, just focus on that," the Doctor said. "I will get you out of here, Astrid. I promise. Look at me. I promise. Good. Now, if we can get to Reception, I've got a spaceship tucked away. We can all get on board..."

"Doctor," Clara said, tugging on his sleeve and pointed. The TARDIS was also floating out in space.

"Oh," the Doctor said.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Astrid asked.

"That's my spaceship over there," the Doctor said.

"Where?" Astrid asked.

"There, that box," the Doctor said. "That little blue box."

"Poor TARDIS," Clara said.

"That's a spaceship?" Astrid asked.

"Oi, don't knock it," the Doctor said.

"It's a bit small," Astrid said.

"You'd be surprised," Clara said.

"A bit distant," the Doctor said. "Trouble is, once it's set adrift, it's programmed to lock onto the nearest centre of gravity and that would be...the Earth."

The TARDIS flew down to the Earth and disappeared from sight.

The Doctor went over and got the comms device working.

"Deck 22 to the bridge," he said. "Deck 22 to the bridge. Is there anyone there?"

"This is the bridge," a man's voice said. Clara could tell it wasn't the Captain.

"Oh, hello, sailor," the Doctor said. "Good to hear you. What's the situation up there?"

"We've got air," the man said. "The oxygen field is holding. But the captain...He's dead. He did it. I watched while he took down the shields. There was nothing I could do. I tried. I did try."

"All right," the Doctor said. "Just say calm. Tell me your name. What's your name?"

"Midshipman Frame," the man said.

"Nice to meet you, sir," the Doctor said. "What's the state of the engines?"

"They're um...Hold on," Midshipman Frame said.

"Have you been injured?" the Doctor asked, as Frame groaned in pain.

"I'm all right," Midshipman Frame said. "On my vot. They're cycling down."

"That's a nuclear storm drive, yes?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah," Midshipman Frame said.

"The moment they're gone, we lose orbit," the Doctor said.

"The planet," Midshipman Frame said.

"Oh, yes," the Doctor said. "If we hit the planet, the nuclear storm explodes and wipes out life on Earth. Midshipman, I need you to fire up the engine containment field and feed it back into the core."

"This is never going to work," Midshipman Frame said.

"Trust me, it'll keep the engines going until I can get to the bridge," the Doctor said.

He turned off the comms and faced everyone else, who all started talking at once.

"We're going to die!" Foon exclaimed.

"Are you saying someone's done this on purpose?" Mr. Copper asked.

"We're just a cruise ship!" Astrid said.

"Okay, okay," the Doctor said, trying to calm everyone. "Tch, tch. First things first. One, we're going to climb through this ship. B...no...two, we're going to reach the bridge. Three—or C, we're going to save the Titanic. And, coming in a very low Four or D or that little 'iv' in brackets they use in footnotes...why? Right then, follow me."

"Hang on a minute," Rickston said. "Who put you in charge and who the hell are you anyway?"

"I'm the Doctor," he said. "I'm a Time Lord. I'm from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous. I'm 903 years old and I'm the man who's gonna save your lives and all six billion of the people on the planet below. You got a problem with that?"

Clara looked at her love in admiration as he made his little speech.

"No," Rickston said.

"Bloody right, you don't," Clara threatened him.

"In that case, allons-y!" the Doctor said, leading them to a metal door.

"Nice speech, dear," Clara said, helping him push the door open. It led to a stairwell that had sparking cables and was littered with debris.

"Careful," he said. "Follow me."

The Doctor led, clearing the way ahead, and Clara right behind him.

"Rather ironic when this is very much in the spirit of Christmas," Mr. Copper said. "It's a festival of violence. They say that human beings only survive depending on whether they've been good or bad. It's barbaric."

"Actually, that's not true," the Doctor said. "Christmas is a time of—of peace and thanksgiving and...what am I on about? Christmas is always like this for us."

"Pretty much," Clara said. "And it's him that saves everybody."

She indicated to the Doctor, who had uncovered a dormant Host.

"We've got a Host," the Doctor said to everyone else. "Strength of ten. If we can mend it, we can use it to fix the rubble."

"We can do robotics, both of us," Morvin said.

"We worked on the milk market back on Sto," Foon said. "It's all about robot staff."

"See if you can get it working," the Doctor said, then turned to Astrid and Clara. "Let's have a look."

They continued up the stairs, only to find in completely blocked by wreckage.

"It's blocked," Astrid said.

"So what do we do?" the Doctor asked.

"We shift it," Astrid said.

"That's the attitude," the Doctor said. "Clara, Rickston, Mr. Copper, and you, Bannakaffalatta...look, can I just call you Banna? It's gonna save a lot of time."

"No! Bannakaffalatta!" Bannakaffalatta said.

"All right, then, Bannakaffalatta, there's a gap in the middle," the Doctor said. "See if you can get through."

"Easy. Good," Bannakaffalatta said, squeezing through the opening. Right after he had gone through, the ship lurched again, sending even more debris everywhere.

"This whole thing could come crashing down any minute!" Rickston said.

"Oh, Rickston, I forgot," the Doctor said. "Did you get our message?"

"No," Rickston said. "What message?"

"Shut up!" the Doctor said, and Clara snorted and grinned.

"Bannakaffalatta made it," the alien said from the other side.

"I'm small enough, I can get through," Astrid said.

"I think I can, too," Clara said.

"Careful," the Doctor told both of them.

Clara waited for Astrid to go through, then made her way through as well.

"We can clear it from this side," Astrid said, after Clara had climbed through. "Just tell us if it starts moving."

Clara started taking debris off the top and throwing it to the side.

"Bannakaffalatta, what's wrong?" Astrid asked. Clara turned and looked to see Bannakaffalatta laying on the ground.

"Shh," Bannakaffalatta said to both of them. Clara kept working on the debris, feeling like it was none of her business.

"You're a cyborg!" she heard Astrid say.

Clara was able to clear enough away to make a small opening.

"What's going on up there?!" the Doctor asked.

"I think Bannakaffalatta and I just got engaged," Astrid said and Clara smiled.

Clara took a moment to break the heels off the ridiculous shoes that the TARDIS had picked out for her and slipped them back on. Clara and Astrid frantically began to work again as they heard yelling from down the stairs.

"Rickston! Get them through!" the Doctor shouted.

"No chance!" Rickston said, going through the narrow opening.

Clara was waiting for him on the other side and punched him right in the nose.

"Are you crazy?" Rickston asked, holding his nose.

"No, but you're an idiot!" she yelled at him.

"I'll never get through there," Foon said from the other side.

"Yes, you can," Mr. Copper said. "Let me go first."

Clara put her hand through and helped Mr. Copper through the hole. She then turned and tried to help Foon through the hole, along with Mr. Copper and Astrid.

"No, I'm stuck!" Foon said.

"Come on, you can do it!" Astrid said.

Clara started taking off what debris she could without collapsing the whole thing, while Mr. Copper was using a metal pole to try and widen the space.

"It's going to collapse!" Mr. Copper said, as Foon made it through. "Rickston, vot damn it, help me!"

"No...way," Rickston said.

"Do you want me to hit you again?" Clara snapped at him.

"Morvin, get through!" the Doctor said.

Clara, Astrid, and Mr. Copper did their best to try and get Morvin through, but it was even harder than with Foon.

"Doctor, he's stuck!" Astrid yelled.

"Mr. van Hoff, I know we've only just met, but you'll have to excuse me," the Doctor said from the other side, as he pushed. Morvin fell through the hole.

"That's it," Astrid said. "We've got you. Doctor, come on, get through."

"Doctor!" Clara yelled for him as he turned to talk to the Host that was following them.

"I can't hold it!" Mr. Copper said, straining against the metal pole. Clara ran forward to help him.

The Doctor scrambled through the hole and said, "Let's go!"

Mr. Copper and Clara let go of the pole and the beam they had been holding up came crashing down on the Host's head.

Clara gave a sigh of relief as they found themselves in an open room.

"Morvin, look, food," Foon said.

"Oh, great," Rickston said sarcastically. "Someone's happy."

"I'll hit you again," Clara said, and Rickston moved away from her.

"Don't have any then," Morvin said.

Clara glared at Rickston as she followed the Doctor over to the comms.

"Mr. Frame, you still there?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes, sir," Midshipman Frame said, "but I've got Host outside. I sealed the door."

"They've been programmed to kill," the Doctor said. "Why would anyone do that?"

"That's not the only problem, Doctor," Midshipman Frame said. "I had to use a maximum deadlock on the door, which means...No one can get in. I'm sealed off. Even if you can fix the Titanic, you can't get to the bridge."

"Yeah, right, fine," the Doctor said. "One problem at a time. What's on Deck 31?"

"Um, that's down below," Midshipman Frame said. "It's nothing. It's just the Host storage deck. That's where we keep the robots."

"Well, what's that?" the Doctor asked, looking at the scanner and then put on his brainy specs. "It's registering nothing. No power, no heat, no light."

"Never seen it before," Midshipman Frame said.

"100 percent shielded," the Doctor said. "What's down there?"

"I'll try intensifying the scanner," Midshipman Frame said.

"Let me know if you find anything," the Doctor said, taking his glasses off. "And keep those engines going!"

Clara sighed and rubbed her face. Astrid brought over some food and said, "Saved you both some. You might be a Time King from Gaddabee but you need to eat."

Clara smiled.

"Yeah, thanks," the Doctor said, sitting down and patting the spot beside him for Clara. She sat on one side of the Doctor, and Astrid sat on the other.

"So, you look good for 903," Astrid said.

"You should see me in the mornings," the Doctor said, his mouth full.

"Not very pretty," Clara said, talking about the food in his mouth and his looks in the morning.

"Oi!" the Doctor said, his mouth still full.

"Chew and swallow before you talk, dear," Clara said, smiling.

Mr. Copper joined them and said, "Doctor, it must be well past midnight, Earth time. Christmas Day."

"So it is," the Doctor said. "Merry Christmas."

"This Christmas thing, what's it all about?" Astrid said.

"Long story," the Doctor said. "I should know, I was there. I got the last room."

"But if the planet's waking up, can't we signal them? They can send up a rocket or something," Mr. Copper said.

"They don't have spaceships," the Doctor said.

"No, I read about it," Mr. Copper said. "They have shuffles, space shuffles."

"Mr. Copper, this degree in Earthonomics...where's it from?" the Doctor asked.

"Honestly?" Mr. Copper said.

"Just between us," the Doctor said.

"Mrs. Golightly's Happy Traveling University and Dry Cleaners," Mr. Copper said. He mopped his forehead with a hankie and sat down.

"You—you lied to the company...to get the job?" Astrid asked.

"That's usually how it works," Clara said.

"I—I wasted my life on Sto," Mr. Copper said. "I was a traveling salesman, always on the road and I reached retirement with nothing to show for it. Not even a home. And Earth sounded so exotic."

"Hm, I suppose it is, yeah," the Doctor said.

"Not from my point of view," Clara muttered.

"How come you know it so well?" Astrid asked the Doctor and Clara.

"I used to live on Earth," Clara said.

"I was sort of...a few years ago, was sorta made...well, sort of homeless, and, um, there was the Earth," the Doctor said.

"This is, if we survive this, there will be police and all sorts of investigations," Mr. Copper said. "Now the minimum penalty for space-age fraud is ten years in jail. I'm an old man. Well, I won't survive ten years."

The Doctor dropped his food right in front of Clara as there was a banging at the door and rushed to the opposite door.

"A Host! Move! Come on!" the Doctor said, taking out his sonic screwdriver and used it on the door.

"Hurry!" Clara said, ushering everyone through the door.

In the room, the only way across was a makeshift bridge, which was high above the engines that were far below them.

"Is that the only way across?" Rickston asked.

"On the other hand, it is a way across," the Doctor said.

"The engines are open," Astrid said.

"Nuclear storm drive," the Doctor said. "Soon as it stops, the Titanic falls."

"But that thing, it'll never take our weight," Morvin said.

"You're going last, mate," Rickston said.

"Oi, watch it," Clara warned.

"It's nitrofine metal," the Doctor said. "It's stronger than it looks."

"All the same, Rickston's right," Morvin said. "Me and Foon should-"

Clara tried to reach out and grab Morvin as he stepped on a weak piece of metal and fell down to the engines below.

"Morvin!" Foon screamed out.

The Doctor had grabbed Clara, to keep her from falling as well.

"I told you! I told you!" Rickston said.

"Just shut up! Shut up!" Mr. Copper said.

Clara hugged a very hysterical Foon and hugged her tightly.

"Bring him back!" Foon shouted to the Doctor. "Can't you bring him back? Bring him back, Doctor!"

"I'm sorry, I can't," the Doctor said.

"You promised me!" Foon said.

"I know," the Doctor said. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"Shh," Clara said, trying to sooth Foon.

"Doctor, I rather think those things have got our scent," Mr. Copper said.

"I'm not waiting," Rickston said, starting across the bridge.

"Careful! Take it slowly!" the Doctor said.

The ship rocked and rumbled and Rickston was nearly thrown off the beam.

"You're okay," the Doctor said. "One step at a time. Come on, you can do it."

"They're getting nearer!" Mr. Copper said.

The Doctor went over and used his sonic screwdriver on the door to seal them in. Clara was still trying to comfort Foon, who was still in hysterics.

"Leaving us trapped, wouldn't you say?" Mr. Copper asked.

"Never say trapped, just inconveniently circumstanced," the Doctor said.

"Oh," Mr. Copper said.

"I'm okay!" Rickston said, halfway across the bridge.

"Maybe he's all right," Foon said hopefully. "Maybe—maybe there's a gravity curve down there or something. I don't know. Maybe he's unconscious."

"I'm sorry, Foon," Astrid said, also hugging Foon. "He's gone."

"What am I going to do without him?" Foon asked, crying.

"Shh, it'll be okay," Clara said.

"Yes! Oh, yes! Who's good?" Rickston said, reaching the other side.

"Bannakaffalatta, you go next," the Doctor said.

"Bannakaffalatta, small," Bannakaffalatta said.

"Slowly!" the Doctor said.

The Host started pounding on the door from the other side, startling Clara.

"They've found us!" Mr. Copper said.

"Astrid, get across right now," the Doctor said.

"What about you and Clara?" Astrid asked.

"Just do it," the Doctor said. "Go on. Mr. Copper, we can't wait. Don't argue. Clara, you next. Foon, you've got to get across right now."

Clara reluctantly let go of a still crying Foon and followed Mr. Copper across. She was thankful that she had broken off her heels as she tried to keep her balance.

"What for?" Foon asked. "What am I gonna do without him?"

"Doctor! The door's locked!" Rickston said.

"Just think...what would he want, eh?" the Doctor said.

"He don't want nothing, he's dead!" Foon said, sobbing.

"Doctor, I can't open the door," the Doctor said. "We need the whirring key thing of yours!"

"We need the sonic screwdriver!" Clara said, still trying to cross.

"I can't leave her!" the Doctor said.

"She'll get us all killed if we can't get out!" Rickston said.

"Mrs. van Hoff, I am coming back for you, all right?" the Doctor asked, and started to cross behind Clara.

"Too many people!" Bannakaffalatta said, as the metal of the beam started creaking.

"Oi! Don't get spiky with me! Keep going!" the Doctor said.

"It's gonna fall!" Astrid said.

"It's just settling! Keep going!" the Doctor said.

It was suddenly quiet as the pounding on the door stopped.

"They've stopped," Astrid said.

"Gone away?" Bannakaffalatta asked.

"Why would they give up?" the Doctor said.

"Never mind that," Rickston said. "Keep coming!"

"Where have they gone? Where are the Host?" the Doctor asked.

"I'm afraid...we forgot the tradition of Christmas—that angels have wings!" Mr. Copper said, said, looking up. He pointed and the Host were floating down from above, circling around them.

"Information: kill," a Host said, all of them reaching for their halos.

"Arm yourselves! All of you!" the Doctor said.

Clara picked up a metal pipe and started fending off the halos that started flying all around them. One nicked Clara on the side and she gasped.

"I can't," Astrid said, falling to her knees.

"Yes, you can!" Clara said, still fighting.

"Bannakaffalatta stop! Bannakaffalatta proud! Bannakaffalatta, cyborg!" he shouted, lifting his shirt and discharging energy. It disabled the Host, making all of them but one fall to the engines. The one fell right behind the Doctor.

"Electromagnetic pulse took out the robotics," the Doctor said. "Oh, Bannakaffalatta, that was brilliant!"

Bannakaffalatta fell and Astrid went to him.

"He's used all of his power!" Astrid said.

"Did good?" Bannakaffalatta asked.

"You saved our lives," Astrid said.

"Bannakaffalatta happy," he said.

"We can recharge you," Astrid said, "get you to a power point and just plug you in!"

"Too late," Bannakaffalatta said.

"No, but...you gotta get me that drink, remember?" Astrid asked.

"Pretty girl," Bannakaffalatta said, then he died.

Clara would have stomped her foot in frustration at all the good people that were dying around her, but it would have moved the beam. Her eyes filled with tears, as she inched across the beam again.

"I'm sorry," Mr. Copper said. "Forgive me."

He took a part out of Bannakaffalatta's chest, as Astrid had been trying to button his shirt again.

"Leave him alone," Astrid said.

"It's the EMP transmitter," Mr. Copper said. "He—he'd want us to use it. I used to sell these things. They'd always give me a bed for the night in the cyborg caravans. They're good people. But if we can recharge it, we can reuse it as a weapon against the rest of the Host. Bannakaffalatta might have saved us all."

"Do you think?" Rickston said, then pointed behind them all. "Try telling him that."

The Host that had landed on the bridge had started to move.

"Information: reboot," the Host said.

"Use the EMP!" Rickston said.

"It's dead!" Mr. Copper said.

"Keep moving!" Clara said.

"It's gotta have emergency-" Astrid said, taking the EMP from Mr. Copper and the Doctor confronted the Host.

"No, no, no," the Doctor said. "Hold on. Override loophole security protocol...Ten! 666! Oh. 21, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Um, I dunno, 42! Uh, one!"

The Host stopped advancing and stood there and said, "Information: state request."

"Good...right," the Doctor said. "You've been ordered to kill the survivors, by why?"

"Information: no witnesses," the Host said.

"But this ship's gonna fall on the Earth and kill everyone," the Doctor said. "The human race have nothing to do with the Titanic so that contravenes your orders, yes?"

"Information: incorrect," the Host said.

"But why do you want to destroy the Earth?" the Doctor asked.

"Information: it is the plan," the Host said.

"What plan?" the Doctor asked.

"Information: protocol grants you only three questions," the Host said. "These three questions have been used."

"Well, you could have warned me," the Doctor said.

"Information: now you will die," the Host said.

The Host prepared to strike down the Doctor with its halo when suddenly, a lasso appeared around the Host, thrown by Foon.

"You're coming with me," Foon said, closing her eyes and jumping over the edge.

"Foon!" Clara shouted, tearing up again.

"Noooo!" the Doctor shouted.

Clara felt hopelessly helpless as Foon fell to her death, right after Morvin.

"No more," the Doctor said, determined and Clara wiped her eyes.

Making it to the other side and into another set of maintenance halls, after the Doctor had opened the door with his sonic screwdriver.

"Right," the Doctor said. "Get up to Reception One. Once you're there, Mr. Copper. You've got staff access to the computer. Try and find a way of transmitting an SOS. Astrid, you're in charge of this."

He held out the EMP to her.

"Once it's powered up, it'll take out Hosts within fifty yards but then it needs sixty seconds to recharge," the Doctor said. "Got it? Rickston, take this."

He then handed Rickston his sonic screwdriver, which Clara was iffy about.

"I've reset it," the Doctor said. "Just hold down that button. It'll open doors. Do not lose it! You got that? Now go and open the next door. Go on! Go!"

"All right!" Rickston said, leaving.

The Doctor took down a First Aid kit and handed it to Mr. Copper.

"Mr. Copper, I need you fighting fit," the Doctor said. "Astrid, where's the power point?"

"Under the comms," Astrid said.

Clara winced in pain as she felt her side. Hoping the TARDIS wouldn't do something like lock her out of her room, she very carefully ripped open the side of her dress and took a bandage out of the First Aid kit and put it over the cut the Host had given her.

Looking over to the Doctor, she saw that he was on the comms, most likely with Midshipman Frame on the bridge. Wishing she could cover the bandage, knowing the Doctor would see it, she went over to where he was.

"Don't worry, I'll get there," he said.

"The bridge is sealed off!" Midshipman Frame said.

"Yeah, yeah, working on it," the Doctor said. "I'll get there, Mr. Frame, somehow."

The EMP was ready then.

"All charged up?" the Doctor said. "Mr. Copper, look after them. Astrid, Clara, look after him. Rickston, um...look after yourself. And I'll see you again, I promise."

"Hold on!" Astrid said, going after him. Clara also protested. "There's an old tradition on Planet Sto..."

"I've really got to go," the Doctor said.

"Just wait a minute!" Astrid said.

She grabbed the First Aid kit from where Clara had left it with Mr. Copper and set it on the floor in front of the Doctor. She then stood on it and kissed the Doctor. Clara was both amused and jealous.

"Yeah, that's a very old tradition, yeah," the Doctor said, sounding bemused and distracted. He then ran off.

"See you later!" Astrid shouted after him.

"Oh, yes," he said, turning around, before running off again.

"Where did he say he was going?" Clara said.

"Deck 31," Astrid said.

Clara looked to where the Doctor went before continuing on with Astrid, Mr. Copper, and Rickston up to reception. Rickston opened a door in front of them with the sonic screwdriver to find a Host behind it.

"Do it!" Rickston said.

Astrid used the EMP on the Host and it collapsed. Clara merely smiled while they all cheered and laughed. They finally reached Reception where Astrid used the EMP to take out the Host that were there.

"Rickston, seal the doors, make the room secure," Astrid said. "Mr. Copper, keep an eye on the Host. I need to check the computer. We need that SOS."

Clara followed her to the computer, only to find it down. Astrid hit it in frustration. Then, she turned and saw the teleport bracelets. Clara still had hers in her clutch, which she amazingly still had with her.

"Bridge, this is reception!" Astrid said.

"Who's there?" Midshipman Frame asked.

"Astrid Peth," Astrid said, and Clara indicated to herself. "And Clara Tyler. We were with the Doctor. Tell me, can you divert power to the teleport system?"

"No way," Midshipman Frame said. "I'm using everything I got to keep the engines running."

"It's just one trip for two people," Astrid said, as Clara showed her her bracelet. "We need to get to Deck 31."

"And I'm telling you no," Midshipman Frame said.

"And I'm saying yes," Clara demanded. "I won't let him die!"

"Mr. Frame...this is for the Doctor," Astrid said. "He's gone down there on his own-"

"With no plan," Clara said.

"-and we, we can't just leave him," Astrid finished. "He's done everything he can to save us. It's time we did something to help him."

"Giving you power," Midshipman Frame said.

Clara put her bracelet on, as Astrid went and grabbed one.

"Mr. Copper, we're gonna find him," Astrid said, putting on her own bracelet.

"Good luck to both of you," Mr. Copper said, and then Astrid and Clara teleported.

Clara stumbled as they appeared on Deck 31. Shaking her head to fight of the dizziness, she and Astrid peered around a corner to see the Doctor and what looked like Max Capricorn in a little cart with only his head.

Clara and Astrid snuck closer, unseen.

"You scupper the ship, wipe out any survivors in case anyone's rumbled you and the board find their shares halved in value," they both heard the Doctor say. "Oh, but that's not enough. No, 'cause if a Max Capricorn ship hits the Earth, it destroys an entire planet. Outrage back home. Scandal! The business is wiped out."

"And...the whole board thrown in jail for mass murder," Capricorn said.

"While you sit there, safe inside the impact chamber," the Doctor said.

"I have men waiting to retrieve me from the ruins and enough off-world accounts to retire me to the beaches of Pentaxico Two where the ladies, so I'm told, are very fond of...metal," Capricorn said.

"We can't let him get away with this," Clara hissed to Astrid.

"But what do we do?" Astrid asked.

"Dunno," Clara said, "but I'll think of something."

"So that's the plan," the Doctor said. "A retirement plan. 2,000 on this ship, 6 billion underneath us, all of them slaughtered. And why? Because Max Capricorn is a loser."

"I never lose," Capricorn said.

"You can't even sink the Titanic," the Doctor said.

"Oh, but I can, Doctor," Capricorn said. "I can cancel the engines from here."

Alarms started sounding, and Clara covered her ears. Turning her head away from the noise, she spotted something that would help.

"What about that?" Clara whispered, pointing to a forklift. "That might work to get him away from the Doctor. Give us a chance to get away."

"I've got a better idea," Astrid said, climbing on the forklift. Clara climbed on the side, holding onto a handle that was there.

"Mr. Capricorn! I resign!" Astrid shouted, then started the forklift and drove it towards Capricorn.

"Astrid, Clara, don't!" the Doctor shouted.

Astrid lifted the front of Capricorn's little cart. The back wheels of Capricorn's cart was still on the ground, which was just enough to keep pushing against the forklift. The Host that had been so near to killing the Doctor threw his halo at Astrid and Clara instead. Clara was lucky, since she was on the other side of the forklift, but Astrid had to duck.

"He's cut the break line!" the Doctor said.

"Jump off," Astrid told Clara.

"I can't leave you alone!" Clara said.

Astrid then raised the forks on the forklift higher, completely lifting Capricorn off the ground. Stepping on the gas, Astrid raced to the edge. She gave Clara a push and then sped off the edge. The wind knocked out of her, Clara rolled to the edge, where she grabbed onto some wiring, just barely keeping from falling herself.

"No! Astrid!" Clara shouted, as Astrid fell to her death, her hands reaching upwards.

The Doctor ran to the edge and saw Astrid falling as well. There was nothing he could do, but help Clara up from the edge, which he did.

"I'm so sorry, Doctor," Clara sobbed. "I didn't know what she was going to do. My plan was just to keep Capricorn at bay while we all escaped."

"It's not your fault," the Doctor said with a saddened and angry look on his face.

Helping Clara stand, he walked her over to the Host and held his arms out to the side, with Clara clinging onto his waist. The Host stood on either side of them and the Doctor snapped his fingers. The Host took hold of his arms and they flew upwards, Clara holding on for dear life. They gained speed, and with the Host's arms raised, they broke through the floor of the bridge.

Clara coughed as dust came down in her face and the Doctor helped her up through the hole the Host had made. Clara made sure her dress was fine, surprised that nothing had gone wrong with it yet. She was so going to make sure the TARDIS never picked out anything like that for her again, even if it was pretty.

"Deadlock broken," the computer said.

"Ah, Midshipman Frame at last!" the Doctor said.

"Uh, but—but the Host!" Midshipman Frame exclaimed.

"Controller dead, they divert to the next highest authority, and that's me," the Doctor said.

"There's nothing we can do," Midshipman Frame said. "There's no power. The ship's gonna fall."

"Titanic falling," the computer said.

"Well, now you've got him and he's brilliant," Clara said, jerking her thumb towards the Doctor.

"What's your first name?" the Doctor asked Frame, taking the wheel.

"Alonzo," Midshipman Frame said.

"You're kidding me," the Doctor said, looking at him in surprise. Clara smiled.

"What?" Midshipman Frame asked, puzzled.

"That's something else I've always wanted to say," the Doctor said. "Allons-y Alonzo! Whoa!"

Clara fell to the ground as the ship lurched badly as the Doctor tried to steer it. They were flying straight for Earth and Alonzo Frame screamed. The Doctor was fighting the wheel as they continued to drop.

"Do you actually know how to fly this thing?!" Clara practically screamed.

An alarm sounded and the Doctor indicated for Clara to check it. She pressed a button next to the wheel and it showed the impact to be somewhere in London.

"Why is it always London?" Clara wondered out loud.

"Ah," the Doctor said, seeing it. He then used the comms to call Earth. "Hello, yes, um...could you get me Buckingham Palace? Listen to me! Security Code 771! Now get out of there!"

"Engines active," the computer said. "Engines active."

"Get over here!" the Doctor shouted for Clara. "Help me pull!"

Clara helped the Doctor pull back on the wheel and they finally gained control of the Titanic.

"We did it!" Clara said, and the Doctor gasped, like he couldn't believe their luck. Clara hugged the Doctor from behind and they both started laughing.

"Whoo-hoo!" Frame shouted, ringing the ship's bell.

"Whoo-hoo-hoo!" the Doctor shouted.

The Doctor pulled Clara with him and sat down on the floor beside Midshipman Frame.

"Used the heat of re-rentry to fire up the secondary storm drive," the Doctor said. "Unsinkable, that's me."

"Now, don't jinx it," Clara said.

"We made it," Midshipman Frame said.

"Not all of us," the Doctor said, sadly. "Teleport!" he suddenly shouted, jumping up and startling Clara. "She was wearing a teleport bracelet!"

He grabbed Clara's hand, pulling her up, before rushing out the door. They ran into Reception and held his hand out.

"Rickston! Sonic!" he shouted. Rickston threw it at him and the Doctor caught it. "Mr. Copper, the teleports, have they got emergency settings?"

"I don't know," Mr. Copper said. "They should have."

"She fell, Mr. Copper," the Doctor said. "She fell. What's the emergency code?"

"Uh, let me see..." Mr. Copper said, thinking.

"What the hell are you doing?" Frame asked.

"We can bring her back," the Doctor said, starting to work on the teleport.

"If a passenger has an accident on shore leave and they're still wearing their teleport, their molecules are automatically suspended and held in stasis so that we can just trigger the shift," Mr. Copper said.

"There!" the Doctor shouted, finishing with the teleport device.

A glowing and transparent Astrid appeared by Clara.

"I'm falling,"Astrid said.

"Once halfway there," the Doctor said. "Come on."

He continued to adjust the teleport.

"I keep falling," Astrid said.

"Feed back the molecule grid, boost it with the restoration matrix," the Doctor said, and the teleport sparked. "No, no, no, no! Need more phase containment."

"Doctor-" Mr. Copper said.

"No!" the Doctor shouted. "If I can just link up the surface suspension..."

"Doctor, she's gone," Mr. Copper said.

"I just need to override the safety," the Doctor said. "I can do it."

"Doctor, let her go," Mr. Copper said.

The Doctor kicked the teleport in frustration. Clara took a deep breath, feeling tears gathering again.

"I can do anything!" the Doctor said.

"Stop me falling," Astrid said. The tears started falling down Clara's face.

"There's not enough left," Mr. Copper said. "The system was too badly damaged. She's just atoms, Doctor. An echo with the ghost of consciousness. She's stardust."

"Astrid Peth...citizen of Sto...the woman who looked at the stars and dreamt of traveling," the Doctor said, walking closer to Astrid. "There's an old tradition."

Clara couldn't stop the tears as the Doctor leaned down and kissed her.

"Now you can travel forever," he said, opening a window with his sonic screwdriver and Astrid turned into motes of light. "You're not falling, Astrid, you're flying."

The light that was Astrid flew out the window and into space.

"The engines have stabilized," Midshipman Frame said. "We're holding steady till we get help and I've sent the SOS. A rescue ship should be here within twenty minutes. And they're digging out the records of Max Capricorn. It should be quite a story."

"They'll want to talk to all of us, I suppose," Mr. Copper said.

"I'd have thought so, yeah," Midshipman Frame said.

The Doctor had his arm around Clara's waist, careful of her wound, and had an expressionless look on his face.

"I think, uh, one or two inconvenient truths might come to light," Mr. Copper said, wandering over to the Doctor and Clara. "Still, it's my own fault, and ten years in jail is better than dying."

"Doctor...I never said...thank you," Rickston said, coming over, then hugged him. "The funny thing is...I said Max Capricorn was falling apart. Just before the crash, I...sold all my shares, transferred them to his rivals. It's made me rich. What do you think of that?"

Clara shook her head in disbelief.

"Greedy jerk," she muttered as Rickston walked away to answer his phone.

"Of all the people to survive, he's not the one you would have chosen, is he?" Mr. Copper asked. "But if you could choose, Doctor, if you decide who lives and who dies...that would make you a monster."

"Mr. Copper...I think you deserve one of these," the Doctor said, handing him a bracelet. Clara still had her's on and the Doctor put one on as well. The Doctor started the machine and just before the three of them disappeared, Midshipman Frame saluted them and the Doctor saluted back.

They teleported down to London, where the TARDIS was waiting for them. Clara had the Doctor's arm as the three of them walked in what seemed to be snow.

"So, Great Britain is part of, uh, 'Europee' and just across the British Channel, you've got Great France and Great Germany," Mr. Copper said.

"No, no, it's just—it's just France and Germany. Only Britain is great," the Doctor corrected.

"Oh, and they're all at war with the continent of Hamerica?" Mr. Copper asked.

"No, well...not yet, uh...could argue that one," the Doctor said.

"Seriously?" Clara asked, eyes wide.

"There she is," the Doctor said, arriving at the TARDIS, choosing not to answer Clara's question. "Survive anything."

"You know, between the three of us, I don't even think this snow is real," Mr. Copper said. "I think this is the ballast from the Titanic's salvage entering the atmosphere."

"Yeah, one of these days it might snow for real," the Doctor said.

"So, I—I suppose you'll both be off," Mr. Copper said.

"The open sky," the Doctor said.

"And, uh, what about me?" Mr. Copper asked.

"I travel alone with Clara," the Doctor said. "It's best that way."

"What—what am I suppose to do?" Mr. Copper asked.

"Give me that credit card," the Doctor said.

Mr. Copper handed it over to him and said, "Well, it's just petty cash, spending money. It's all done by computer. I—I didn't really know the currency, so I thought a million might cover it."

Clara's eyes widened as the Doctor said, "A million? Pounds?"

"That enough for trinkets?" Mr. Copper asked.

"Mr. Copper, a million pounds is worth 50 million credits," the Doctor said.

How much?" Mr. Copper asked.

"50 million and 56," the Doctor said, mentally calculating it.

"I—I've got money!" Mr. Copper said.

"Yes, you have," the Doctor said, handing the card back to him.

"Oh, my word," Mr. Copper said. "Oh, my goodness me! I—Ya-ha!"

"It's all yours—Planet Earth," the Doctor said. "Now that's a retirement plan. But just you be careful, though."

"I will," Mr. Copper said. "I will. Oh, I will."

"No interfering," the Doctor warned him. "I don't want any trouble. Just...just have a nice life."

"But I can have a house, a proper house, with a garden, and—and a door, and...Oh, Doctor, I will make you proud," Mr. Copper said, hugging the Doctor and then a very surprised Clara. "And—and I can have a kitchen with chairs, and windows, and lace..."

He started to skip off, laughing.

"Um, where are you going?" the Doctor asked, unlocking the TARDIS.

"Why, I have no idea!" Mr. Copper said, chuckling.

"No, me neither," the Doctor said.

"But, Doctor...I won't forget her," Mr. Copper said, skipping off once again.

"It'll be okay, Doctor," Clara said, touching his arm. "She's free now."

"Merry Christmas, Mr. Copper," the Doctor said, taking Clara's hand as they went inside the TARDIS, dematerializing it.


	43. Partners in Crime

**Partners in Crime**

The Doctor and Clara walked along an empty street, holding hands, before pausing outside of a building that read Adipose on it. They made their way to a fire exit, where the Doctor used his sonic on it, making it spark.

"You're gonna break it," Clara said, amused.

"Nah," the Doctor said, as they walked along a deserted corridor. The Doctor whipped out his psychic paper when they got to a security guard.

"John Smith and Clara Tyler, Health and Safety," the Doctor said.

"Where do we go now?" Clara asked.

"Well, why don't we go see a lecture?" the Doctor asked, seeing a poster.

Instead of leading Clara to the lecture hall, the Doctor went to the projector room.

"The mobilizing lipase breaks up the trigycerides stored in the adipose cells, which then enter..." the computer voice was saying, talking about the Adipose pills that were being sold by the company.

The Doctor showed the man who was running the projector the psychic paper.

"Health and Safety," the Doctor said, then rethought it. "Film department."

After the presentation was over, the Doctor and Clara went out into the main part of the building, where employees were making calls, selling the pills. The Doctor and Clara went to a woman who was on the phone, smiling at her.

"John Smith and Clara Tyler, Heath and Safety," the Doctor whispered to her. "Don't mind me."

Clara really didn't like the way that the woman was staring at the Doctor.

"It's made of 18 carat gold, and it's yours for free," the woman said, still on the phone. "No, we don't give away pens, sorry. No, I can't make an exception, no."

"Hi," Clara said to the woman as she hung up the phone. "Health and Safety. Can we get a copy of your clients, please?"

"Sure," the woman said, still looking at the Doctor. "Printing them now."

"That's the printer there?" the Doctor asked, standing up.

"By the plant, yeah," the woman said.

"Brilliant," the Doctor said, sitting back down.

"It's got everything all ready?" Clara asked.

"Yup," the woman said.

"Has it got paper?" the Doctor asked, standing back up again.

"Yeah, Jimbo keeps it stocked," the woman said.

"Excuse me, everyone," a woman said, entering the room. She had been the woman leading the lecture, so Clara assumed she was in charge. She also had two bodyguards in tow. "If I could have your attention."

The Doctor and Clara stayed crouched down, while everyone around them stood up.

"On average, you're each selling forty Adipose packs per day," the woman said. "It's not enough. I want one hundred sales per person per day. And if not, you'll be replaced. 'Cos if anyone is good in trimming the fat, it's me. Now, back to it."

"Anyway, if you could print that off," the Doctor said. "Thanks. Thanks, then."

The woman jerked the Doctor back down into his seat and handed him a piece of paper.

"Oh, what's that?" the Doctor asked.

"Me telephone number," the woman said.

"What for?" the Doctor asked, confused.

"Health and Safety," the woman said. "You be health, I'll be safety."

"Ah, ah, but, that contravenes, ah, paragraph five, subsection C. Sorry,"the Doctor said.

"Plus, he's already taken," Clara told the woman coldly. She then followed the Doctor to the printer. The papers that were supposed to print weren't there. The Doctor checked everything, before going back to the woman and smiled at her.

"Me, again," the Doctor said. "Can you print it off again?"

Clara gave a sigh of relief as they left the building. That woman had really gotten on her nerves. That evening, the Doctor and Clara started with the name at the top of the list. They knocked on the door and a man answered it.

"Mr. Roger Davey, we're calling on behalf of Adipose Industries," the Doctor said, flashing the man the psychic paper. "Just need to ask you a few questions."

"I've been on the pills two weeks now, I've lost fourteen kilos," Roger said.

"That's amazing," Clara said, astonished.

"That's the same amount every day?" the Doctor asked.

"One kilo exactly," Roger said. "You wake up, and it's disappeared overnight. Well, technically speaking, it's gone by ten past one in the morning."

"Exactly?" Clara asked.

"Yes," the man said.

"What makes you say that?" the Doctor asked.

"That's when I get woken up," Roger said. "Might as well weigh myself at the same time."

"What wakes you up?" Clara wondered.

"It is driving me mad," Roger said. "Ten minutes past one, every night, bang on the dot, without fail, the burglar alarm goes off. I've had experts in, I've had it replaced, I've even phoned Watchdog. But no, ten past one in the morning, off it goes."

"But with no burglars?" the Doctor asked.

"Nothing," Roger said. "I've given up looking."

"Tell me, Roger, have you got a cat flap?" the Doctor asked.

The three of them knelt by the cat flap that was at Roger's back door.

"It was there when I bought the house," Roger said. "Never bothered with it. I'm not a cat person."

"No, I've met cat people," the Doctor said. "You are nothing like them."

Clara giggled and hid it behind her hand.

"It's that what it is, then?" Roger asked. "Cats getting inside the house?"

"Well, thing about cat flaps is that they don't just let things in, they let things out as well," the Doctor said.

"Like what?" Roger asked.

"The fat just walks away," the Doctor said, quoting the Adipose saying. "Well, thanks for your help. Tell you what, maybe you could lay off the pills for a week or so."

The device that the Doctor had pulled out of his pocket started beeping.

"Ooh, we gotta go, sorry," the Doctor said, pulling Clara in the direction that it signaled.

"Where to, now?" Clara asked, as the Doctor stopped directly in front of her, nearly making her run into him. The Doctor looked at his device, hit it, blew on it, then shouted, "This way!" and ran off again, with Clara to follow.

The signal stopped again for a second and the Doctor stopped again, waved the device around, looking for a signal. It dinged and the pair of them ran on down a street.

"Oi! Watch it, mate!" Clara shouted, as a car nearly ran her and the Doctor over. The car went around a corner and disappeared from view. The Doctor got a signal on the van that had passed them and cut through a side road. By the time he and Clara had reached the end of the street, the van had totally vanished.

Disappointed, the Doctor and Clara went back to the TARDIS, where they had parked it near Adipose Industries. The Doctor took out the little golden capsule that he had gotten from the woman on the phone and examined it with a magnifying glass.

"Ooh, fascinating," he commented. "Seems to be a bio-flip digital stitch, specifically for..."

He trailed off.

"For what, Doctor?" Clara asked.

"For each individual person," the Doctor said.

"What, it activated the pills?" Clara said. "The fat just walks away...The fat literally walks away, doesn't it?"

Her eyes were wide.

"Yup," the Doctor said.

"Great, so we're chasing aliens made of fat?" Clara asked.

"Looks like it," the Doctor said.

"Let's get to it, then," Clara said enthusiastically.

The Doctor jumped into action, running around the TARDIS console, pulling switches and pressing buttons. They materialized in an alley way, behind a little blue car. The Doctor and Clara left the TARDIS, going to the Adipose building. The Doctor soniced the fire escape, just as before, and also just as before, it sparked.

"You're really going to break that, you know," Clara said with a smile.

Not meeting anyone along the same deserted corridor, the Doctor soniced open a storage closet and let Clara in first before he soniced it shut again. Now, all they had to do was wait until everyone went home.

Totally bored, Clara leaned against the Doctor and took a nap. The next thing she knew, he was shaking her awake, saying it was time to go. Popping her neck, she stood up and followed the Doctor out of the little storage closet they were in.

"Where to now?" Clara asked, wiping her eyes, trying to wake up fully.

"The roof," the Doctor said.

"What's up there?" she asked, confused.

"Hopefully a way to investigate," the Doctor said.

His 'way to investigate' turned out to be a window cleaner's box.

"Did I mention that heights aren't my favorite thing?" Clara said, looking down the side of the building. "Well, I'm not actually scared of heights, it the fear of falling."

"I won't let you fall," the Doctor said. He carefully helped Clara into the box and lowered it to an office that had the woman in charge in it with her two bodyguards. There was also a woman that was guarded by the two bodyguards as well.

The Doctor pulled out his stethoscope and put it up to the window to hear the conversation going on inside.

"D'you have a spare?" Clara whispered. The Doctor rolled his eyes and pulled a second stethoscope out of his bigger-on-the-inside pockets and handed it to her.

"This is ridiculous," the woman who was guarded said.

"Sit there," said the blonde woman in charge.

"I'm phoning my editor," said the now obvious reporter.

"I said sit," said the blonde woman.

The reporter was pushed down into a chair and tied to it by one of the bodyguards.

"You can't tie me up. What sort of country do you think this is?" the reporter asked.

"Oh, it's a beautifully fat country," the blonde woman said. "And believe me, I've traveled a long way to find obesity on this scale."

"So, come on then, Miss Foster, those pills. What are they?" the reporter asked.

"Well, you might just as well have a scoop, since you'll never see it printed. This is the spark of life," Miss Foster said, lifting up a capsule.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" the reporter asked.

"Officially, the capsule attracts all the fat cells and flushes them away," Miss Foster said. "Well, it certainly attracts them, that part's true. But it binds the fat together and galvanizes it to form a body."

"Well, what d'you mean 'a body'?" the reporter asked.

"I am surprised you never asked about my name," Miss Foster said. "I chose it well. Foster, as in foster mother. And these, are my children."

She pulled a little fat baby out of a drawer and placed it on top of the desk.

"You're kidding me," the reporter said. "What the hell is that?"

Both Clara and the Doctor raised up for a better look.

"Adipose," Miss Foster said. "It's called an Adipose. Made out of living fat. Stripped from ordinary human..."

Clara got a nudge in the ribs and looked up and her eyes widened in surprise. There, across the room, staring at them through a window in the door, was Donna Noble.

"_Doctor! Clara!_" Donna mouthed to them. "_Oh, my gosh! It's me!_"

"_Impossible_!" Clara mouthed back.

"_Oh, this is brilliant!_" Donna mouthed.

The Doctor must've mouthed something back, because Donna said, "_I was looking for you two!_"

"_What for_?!" Clara saw the Doctor ask.

"_I came here, trouble, read about it, internet, I thought, trouble= you two! And this place is weird! Pills! So, I hid. Back there. Crept along. Heard this lot. Looked. You two! 'Cos they..._"

Donna had been mimicking what she was saying, but broke off and froze with her tongue sticking out and her thumb pointing towards the people in the room. Clara looked over and saw Miss Foster looking at them.

"Are we interrupting you?" Miss Foster asked in a loud voice.

"_Run!_" Clara mouthed to Donna. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and locked the door, giving Donna chance to get away. He then used his screwdriver to elevate them back to the roof. Clara clung to the railing, closing her eyes, waiting to be on solid ground again.

Clara gave a sigh of relief as the Doctor helped her back on the roof, and then the two of them took off to the stairs, running down them until they met up with Donna. Donna gave the Doctor a big hug, and then Clara, who gladly returned it.

"Oh, my gosh! I don't believe it!" Donna said, looking between them. "You've even got the same suit! Don't you ever change?"

Clara snorted in amusement and the Doctor said, "Yeah, thanks, Donna, not right now."

He bent over the railing and looked down at the guards coming and said, "Just like old times!"

"Not that old," Clara commented as the three of them ran back up the stairs. They went back to the roof and Clara hoped they didn't have to get back into the box again.

"'Cos I thought, how do I find the Doctor and Clara?" Donna babbled on. "And then I just thought, look for trouble and then they'll turn up! So, I looked everywhere, you name it—UFO's, sightings, crop circles, sea monsters. I looked, I found them all. Like that stuff about the bees disappearing, I thought, I bet they're connected. 'Cos the thing is, Doctor, Clara, I believe it all now. You've both opened my eyes. All those amazing things out there, I believe them all. Well, apart from that replica of the Titanic flying over Buckingham Palace on Christmas Day, I mean, that's gotta be a hoax!"

"Not really," Clara said. "We were on it."

Clara then noticed that the Doctor was working on the controls for the window box with his sonic.

"Are you serious?" she muttered to herself.

"What d'you mean, the bees are disappearing?" the Doctor asked.

"I don't know," Donna said. "That's what it says on the Internet."

The Doctor climbed into the box and Clara reluctantly joined him.

"Well, on the same site, there was all the conspiracy theories about Adipose Industries, I thought, let's have a look!" Donna said.

"In you get!" the Doctor said.

"What, in that thing?" Donna asked.

"Yes, in that thing!" the Doctor said.

"But if we go down in that, they'll just call us back up again," Donna said.

"No, no, no, 'cos I've locked the controls with a sonic cage," the Doctor said. "I'm the only one who can control it. Not unless she's got a sonic device of her own. Which is _very_ unlikely."

Clara clung to the side of the box, like before. The window box then accelerated downward and Clara panicked, afraid of falling. The Doctor stopped the box with his sonic screwdriver and Clara jerked to the floor. She jerked up quickly and grabbed back onto the edge of the box.

The Doctor tried to open the nearest window with his sonic.

"Hold on," he said. "Hold on, we can get in through the window."

But, he couldn't get it open.

"Can't get it open!" he exclaimed.

"Well, smash it then!" Donna said, lifting a huge spanner from the box and tried to break the glass. It didn't break, though, just wobbled a bit. "She's cutting the cable!"

Since she was holding on tightly, Clara was able to stay in the box, as did the Doctor, but Donna tumbled out of it as the cable broke.

"Donna!" the Doctor shouted.

"Doctor! Clara!" Donna shouted, holding on to the end of the broken cable.

"Hold on!" the Doctor shouted.

"I AM!" Donna shouted back.

Clara tried to help the Doctor pull her up by the cable, but even with the both of them, they couldn't.

"Doctor!" Donna shouted again.

The Doctor used his sonic screwdriver on Miss Foster, who was trying to cut the other cable, and she dropped something that he caught. It was a sonic pen that was really close to the Doctor's sonic screwdriver.

The Doctor climbed up the cable to the window above them and opened it using the sonic pen.

"C'mon!" he shouted to Clara.

Scared, Clara managed to climb up after him and fell in through the window, glad to be on the ground again.

"I'm going to fall!" Donna shouted. "This is all your faults. I should've stayed at home!"

"We won't be a minute!" the Doctor shouted, before he climbed in the window after Clara. Clara, heart racing from the near fall, ran down the stairs after the Doctor and back into Miss Foster's office.

"Is anyone gonna tell me what's going on?" the reporter asked, still tied to the chair.

"What, you're a journalist?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes," the woman said.

"Well, make it up!" the Doctor said.

He then opened the window and leaned out and tried to grab Donna's legs.

"Get off!" Donna shouted.

"I've got you!" the Doctor said. "I've got you. Stop kicking!"

Clara wasn't sure how, but she and the Doctor managed to get Donna in the window.

"I was right," Donna said. "It's always like this with you two, innit?"

"OH YES!" the Doctor said with a huge grin. "And off we go!"

Clara laughed as they ran out. She and Donna started to make their way down to the main call centre, where they had gotten the list of clients printed off the day before. The Doctor caught up to them shortly after. They stopped in the middle of the room, meeting up with Miss Foster and her bodyguards.

"Well then," Miss Foster said. "At last."

"Hello," Donna said.

"Nice to meet you, I'm the Doctor," he said.

"And I'm Donna," she said.

"Clara, lovely to meet you," she said, wiggling her fingers.

"Partners in crime," Miss Foster said. "And evidently off-worlders, judging by your sonic technology."

"Oh, yes, I've still got your sonic pen," the Doctor said, pulling it out of his jacket pocket. "Nice, I like it. Sleek, it's kinda sleek."

He then showed it to Donna and Clara.

"Oh, it's definitely sleek," Donna said.

"Sleek and posh-looking," Clara said, nodding.

"Yeah, and if you were to sign your real name, that would be...?" the Doctor asked.

"Matron Cofelia of the Five-Straighten Cassabindi Nursery Fleet. Intergalactic Class," Miss Foster said.

"A wet nurse, using humans as surrogates," the Doctor said.

"I've been employed by the Adiposian First Family to foster a new generation after their breeding planet was lost," Miss Foster said.

"What do you mean, lost?" the Doctor asked. "How do you lose a planet?"

"Oh, politics are none of my concern," Miss Foster said. "I'm just here to take care of the children on behalf of the parents."

"What, like an outer space super-nanny?" Donna asked.

"Yes, if you like," Miss Foster said.

"So...so those little things, they're, they're made out of fat, yeah, but that woman, Stacy Campbell, there was nothing left of her," Donna said.

"Oh, in a crisis, the Adipose can convert bone and hair and internal organs," Miss Foster said. "Makes them a little sick, poor things."

"That's so gross," Clara commented.

"What about poor Stacy?" Donna demanded.

"Seeding a level 5 planet is against galactic law," the Doctor said.

"Are you threatening me?" Miss Foster asked.

"I'm trying to help you, Matron," the Doctor said. "This is your one chance; 'cos if you don't call this off, then I'll have to stop you."

"I hardly think you can stop bullets," Miss Foster said and the bodyguards aimed their guns at the three of them.

"No, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, one more thing before...dying," the Doctor said. "Do you know what happens if you hold two identical sonic devices against each other?"

"No," Miss Foster said, after a short pause.

"Nor me, let's find out!" the Doctor said.

He then pointed both of the screwdrivers at each other and they made an awful noise that made Clara plug her ears in pain.

"Come on!" Donna shouted, and the Doctor took Clara's hand as the three of them took off running. They ran through a deserted corridor and arrive at a storage cupboard. The Doctor started throwing the supplies out of it, while Clara helped him.

"Well, that's one solution," Donna said. "Hide in a cupboard. I like it."

The Doctor opened the back of the cupboard to reveal a big green machine that was built into the wall.

"Hacking in to this thing, 'cos the Matron's got a computer core running through the centre of the building," the Doctor said. "Triple deadlock. And now I've got this. I can get into it."

He held up the sonic pen and started using it.

"She's wired up the whole building," the Doctor said. "We need a bit of privacy."

He held two sparking wires together.

"Just enough to stop them," the Doctor said. "Why's she wired up the tower block? What's it all for?"

"Inducer online," the computer said, as the Doctor started fiddling with wires and cables.

"You both look older," Donna suddenly commented.

"Thanks," the Doctor said.

"It's been over a year since we've seen you," Clara said.

"You both still on your own?" Donna asked.

"Yup," the Doctor said. "Well, no, we had this friend, Martha, she was called. Martha Jones. She was brilliant...and I destroyed half her life. But she's fine. She's good. She's gone."

"What about Rose?" Donna asked.

Clara took a deep breath.

"Still lost," the Doctor said. "I thought you were going to travel the world?"

"Easier said than done," Donna said. "It's like I had that one day with you two and I was gonna change. I was gonna do so much. Then I woke up the next morning, same old life. It's like you both were never there. And I tried. I did try, I went to Egypt. I was gonna go barefoot and everything. And then it's all bus trips and guidebooks and don't drink the water and two weeks later you're back home. It's nothing like being with you. I must have been mad turning down that offer."

"What offer?" the Doctor asked.

"To come with you two," Donna said.

"You'd come with us?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, yes, please!" Donna said.

"Right," the Doctor said.

Clara smiled at Donna. "Love it if you came," Clara said.

"Inducer activated," the computer said.

"What's it doing now?" Donna asked.

"She's starting the program," the Doctor said.

"Inducer transmitting," the computer stated.

"What's happening out there?" Clara asked.

"So far, they're just losing weight, but the Matron has gone up to emergency pathogenesis," the Doctor said.

"That's when they convert..." Donna said.

"Skeletons, organs, everything," the Doctor said. "A million people are gonna die!"

"We've got to help them," Clara said.

"Gotta cancel the signal!" the Doctor said.

He pulled out the golden capsule that the phone woman had given him and took one end off to reveal a chip inside.

"This contains the primary signal," the Doctor said. "If I can switch it off, the fat goes back to being just fat."

He then started hooking the capsule up to the machine.

"Inducer increasing," the computer said.

"No, no, no, no, no, she's doubled it, I need...Haven't got time! It's too far, I can't override it! They're all gonna die!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"Is there anything I can do?" Donna asked.

"Sorry, Donna, this is way beyond you!" the Doctor said, near panic. "Gotta double the base pulse, I can't..."

"Doctor, tell me what do you need?" Donna asked sternly.

"I need a second capsule to boost the override, but I've only got the one. I can't save them!" the Doctor said, fiddling with the switches. Donna took out a golden capsule from her jacket pocket and held it up. The Doctor looked at her in shock, and the three of them burst out laughing.

"Pockets!" Clara exclaimed and she and Donna burst out laughing again.

The Doctor plugged in the capsule and everything went black and shut off. A loud horn sounded, then.

"What the hell was that?" Donna asked.

"It's the nursery," the Doctor answered.

"Fine," Donna said. "When you say nursery, you don't mean a creche in Notting Hill."

"Nursery ship," the Doctor said.

The computer in front of them lit up again.

"Incoming signal," the computer said and then it started babbling in an alien language.

"Hadn't we better go and stop them?" Donna asked.

"Probably," the Doctor said.

"Hang on, instructions from the Adiposian First Family," the Doctor said. "She's wired up the tower block to convert it into a levitation post. Oh. Ooh. We're not the ones in trouble now. _She_ is!"

The three of them then ran back up to the roof.

"So weird," Clara said, as they reached the roof and saw the Adipose babies flying toward the nursery ship that was hovering above London. "But still cute."

"What you gonna do then?" Donna asked. "Blow them up?"

"They're just children," the Doctor said. "They can't help where they come from."

"Oh, that makes a change from last time," Donna said. "That Martha must've done you good."

"Ah, she did, yeah," the Doctor said. "Yeah, she did. She fancied me."

"Mad Martha, that one," Donna said, smiling. "Blind Martha. Charity Martha."

"Oi!" Clara said. "I happen to fancy him and I'm not blind or mad!"

"Only fancy?" the Doctor asked.

"Okay, maybe only a smidge more than that," she teased.

An Adipose floated up and waved at them and they waved back.

"I'm waving at _fat_," Donna said.

"But they're kinda cute," Clara said.

"Actually, as a diet plan, it sort of works," the Doctor said. "There she is!"

The three of them ran to the edge where Miss Foster was floating the air at the same height as they were.

"Matron Cofelia, listen to me!" the Doctor shouted.

"Oh, I don't think so, Doctor," Miss Foster said. "And if I never see you again, it will be too soon."

"Oh, why does no one ever listen?" the Doctor said. "I'm trying to help! Just get across to the roof. Can you shift the levitation beam?"

"What, so that you can arrest me?" Miss Foster asked.

"Just listen," the Doctor said. "I saw the Adiposian instructions—they know it's a crime, breeding on Earth. So, what's the one thing they want to get rid of? Their accomplice!"

"I'm far more than that," Miss Foster said. "I'm nanny to all these children."

"Exactly! Mum and Dad have got the kids, now, they don't need the nanny anymore!" the Doctor said.

Suddenly, the blue light around Miss Foster vanished and she fell with a scream. Clara turned away, not wanting to see. The ship disappeared, and the Doctor, Clara, and Donna made their way back down to the street.

When they got down there, there were sirens, an ambulance, and police tapes everywhere. The Doctor, seemingly lost in thought, started to toss the sonic pen in a bin.

"Oi!" Clara said. "I'll take that."

The Doctor looked at her suspiciously.

"What for?" he asked.

"What, you don't think I've earned it?" she asked.

"I suppose..." the Doctor said, then winked at her. "Here."

She caught the sonic pen and tucked it in her pocket.

"Oi, you three!" said the journalist, still tied to the chair. They turned back to look at her. "You're just mad. Do you hear me? Mad! And I'm gonna report you...for madness!"

"You see, some people just can't take it," Donna said, as the woman went away.

"No," the Doctor said.

"But some people can," Donna said. "So, then—TARDIS! Come on!"

She grabbed his hand and then Clara's and pulled them away. They walked back to the alley where the TARDIS was parked and Donna exclaimed, "That's my car! That is like destiny! And I've been ready for this."

She went to the trunk of the car and Clara saw it was full of suitcases.

"I packed ages ago, just in case," Donna said. "'Cos I thought, hot weather, cold weather, no weather..."

She started pulling the luggage out of the car and loaded it into the arms of the Doctor and Clara.

"...they go anywhere, I've gotta be prepared," Donna said and she threw a striped hatbox on top of the load in the Doctor's arms.

"You've got a...a...hatbox?!" the Doctor asked.

"Planet of the Hats, I'm ready!" Donna said.

Clara wondered what was up with the Doctor when she saw the serious look on his face.

"Do I need injections, though, do I?" Donna asked. "Like when you go to Cambodia, is there any of that? 'Cos my friend Veena went to Bahrain, and..."

Donna suddenly broke off, seeing the seriousness on the Doctor's face and the nervousness on Clara's.

"You're not saying much," Donna said.

"No, it's just...it's a funny old life, in the TARDIS," the Doctor said.

"You don't want me," Donna said in a quiet and sad voice.

"I'm not saying that," the Doctor said.

"And I'm certainly not," Clara said.

"But you asked me," Donna said to the Doctor. He just stared at her, sad. "Would you two rather be on your own?"

"No," the Doctor said. "Actually, no. But..."

He threw the bags to the ground.

"The last time, with Martha, like I said it...it got complicated," the Doctor said. "And that was all my fault. I just want a mate."

"You just want TO MATE?!" Donna said, shocked and disgusted.

"I just want _a_ mate!" the Doctor said.

"You're not mating with me, sunshine!" Donna said. "Save that for Clara!"

"Oi!" Clara said, going red.

"_A_ mate, I want _a_ mate!" the Doctor said, his ears pink.

"Well, just as well, because I'm not having any of that nonsense," Donna said. "I mean, you're just a long streak of...nothing. You know, alien nothing."

"There we are, then," the Doctor said. "Okay."

"I can come?" Donna asked.

"Yeah," the Doctor said. "Course you can, yeah."

Clara beamed at Donna.

"I'd love it," the Doctor said.

"I would, too," Clara said.

"Ooh, that's just..." Donna said, running to hug the Doctor, but stopped. "Car keys!"

"What?" the Doctor asked.

"I've still got my mum's car keys! I won't be a minute!" Donna said, rushing off.

Things were a little awkward between the Doctor and Clara as they both carried Donna's luggage into the TARDIS.

"Er...Doctor, look, about what Donna said-" Clara started, then the Doctor grabbed her and kissed her passionately, taking her by complete surprise. She made his hair stick up even more by running her hands through it. They stayed like that for a moment, until Clara gasped. The Doctor had grabbed her rear end.

"Doctor!" she exclaimed.

"What?" he asked, in fake innocence.

"I think Donna's coming back," Clara whispered to him.

"I think so, too," the Doctor said, then pecked her one last time on the lips before standing in front of the console.

Clara flushed red and sat in the pilot seat as Donna entered into the TARDIS.

"Off we go, then!" Donna said.

"Here it is, the TARDIS," the Doctor said. "It's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside..."

"Oh, I know that bit," Donna said. "Although frankly, you could turn the heat up."

"So, whole wide universe, where do you want to go?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, I know exactly the place," Donna said.

"Which is?" the Doctor asked.

"Two and a half miles, that way," Donna said.

Clara stayed sitting at the pilot chair, confused slightly by the Doctor's kiss. They had never been _that_ serious before and it scared her a little. What if they got too serious and something happened to her, leaving him all alone?

The Doctor came back from the open doors, jumping all around the console, while Donna sat beside Clara, noting the look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Donna asked.

"Huh? Oh, nothing," Clara said.

"Relationship problems?" Donna asked.

"What? No!" Clara said, cheeks going red. "I was just doing some thinking."

"That can be dangerous," Donna said, smiling.

"Yeah, I suppose," Clara said. "Well, I'm tired. Night."

"Goodnight, Clara," Donna said in a loud voice.

Clara made her way through the halls of the TARDIS until she came to her room. She wasn't often in there, due to all the running around all the time but it was nice to see the lavender comforter the TARDIS had given her.

Suddenly feeling tired, physically and emotionally, she face-planted on her bed, her curls flopping everywhere. A moment later, just as she was ready to doze off, there was a knock at her door.

"Urgh!" she exclaimed, pulling her head up. "TARDIS, open the door."

The door opened to reveal the Doctor.

"Are you alright?" he asked, a concerned look on his face.

"Yeah, fine," Clara said, flopping back down.

"'Cos it looks like you're not," the Doctor said, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

"I'm fine," she insisted, getting frustrated.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Suddenly, Clara burst into tears. The Doctor looked surprised and unsure about what to do. Clara flung herself at the Doctor, hugging him and still crying.

"I'm sorry, Doctor," Clara said. "I had a lot on my mind."

"Want to tell me?" the Doctor asked.

"I'm not sure..." she said. "Look, I—I was just wondering what would happen if I'm suddenly gone and you're on your own."

The Doctor was silent for a moment.

"You're not going anywhere," he said. "I'll protect you from anything."

"And I know you would," she said. "But what would happen? We both know you shouldn't be on your own. I just want you to promise me that if anything happens to me, you'll find someone else to travel with."

"But-" the Doctor started.

"Promise me!" Clara said, wiping her face. "I want you to promise!"

"I promise," the Doctor said.

"Thank you, Doctor," Clara said.

"Theta," he said.

"What?" Clara asked.

"I was called Theta on Gallifrey," he said in a quiet voice.

Clara smiled at him and hugged him again.

"My Theta," she whispered. "Will you stay with me tonight?"

"Yeah," he said.

"What about Donna?" she asked.

"Already gone to bed," he said.

"Thanks, dear," she said, lying down, using the Doctor as her pillow.


	44. Fires of Pompeii

**The Fires of Pompeii**

After their talk a few days previous, the Doctor and Clara's relationship had gotten even stronger. He had her hand clasped tightly in his as they exited the TARDIS, only to reveal a curtain. The Doctor pushed it aside with a big smile on his face as Donna came to stand beside them.

"Ancient Rome," the Doctor said, leading Clara and Donna out into the street where there were market stalls set up. "Well, not to them, obviously. To all intents and purposes right now...this is brand new Rome."

"Oh, my gosh, it's...it's so Roman," Donna said enthusiastically. "This is fantastic!"

She hugged the Doctor and Clara in one huge hug, as they were still linked at the hands.

"I'm here...in Rome," Donna said. "Donna Noble, in Rome. This is just weird. I mean, everyone here is dead."

"Well, don't go telling them that," the Doctor said.

"That would not go well," Clara said.

"Hold on a minute," Donna said, stopping. "That sign over there is in English. Are you having me on? Are we in Epcot?"

"No, no, no, no," the Doctor said. "That's the TARDIS translation circuits. Just makes it look like English...speech as well. You're talking Latin right now."

"Seriously?" Donna asked.

"Mmm," the Doctor said.

"I just said 'seriously' in Latin," Donna said.

"Oh, yeah," the Doctor said.

"What if I said something in actual Latin?" Donna asked, laughing. "Like 'veni, vidi, vici'? My dad said that when he came back from football. If I said veni, vidi, vici' to that lot, what would it sound like?"

"I'm not sure—you have to think of difficult questions, don't you?" the Doctor asked.

"Hey, questions are good!" Clara said.

"I'm gonna try it," Donna said, walking up to a stallholder.

Clara and the Doctor stayed back, watching in amusement.

"Hello, sweetheart," the stallholder said. "What can I get for you, my love?"

"Veni, vidi, vici," Donna said.

"Huh? Sorry? Me no speak Celtic," the stallholder said. "No can do, missy."

"Yeah," Donna said, walking back to the Doctor and Clara. Clara hid her grin behind her hand. "What does he mean, 'Celtic'?" Donna asked.

"Welsh," the Doctor said. "You sound Welsh. There we are. That's something."

"Oh, be nice," Clara mock scolded.

"Won't our clothes look a bit odd?" Donna asked, as they continued down the street.

"Nah," the Doctor said. "Ancient Rome, anything goes. It's like Soho...but bigger."

"You've been here before then?" Donna asked.

"Not me," Clara said. "This is a first for me."

"Ages ago," the Doctor said. "Before you ask, that fire had nothing to do with me. Well, a little bit, but I hadn't gotten the chance to look around properly. Coliseum...Pantheon...Circus Maximus...You'd expect them to be looming by now. Where is everything? Try this way."

"Men, why do they never ask for directions?" Clara said, making Donna laugh.

They moved on to a wider street that almost seemed to be the main street and Donna said, "I'm not an expert, but there are Seven Hills of Rome, aren't there? How come they only got one?"

"I think-" Clara started before the ground started to shake.

"Wait a minute!" Donna said. "One mountain...with smoke...which makes this..."

"Pompeii," the Doctor said. "We're in Pompeii...and it's Volcano Day!"

The Doctor, Clara, and Donna rushed back through the streets, trying to get back to the TARDIS and out of Pompeii. When they arrived back at the spot where the TARDIS had been parked, they found it gone.

"You're kidding," Donna said. "Don't tell me the TARDIS is gone."

"Okay," the Doctor said.

"Where is it then?" Donna asked.

"You told me not to tell you," the Doctor said.

"Don't get clever in Latin," Donna scolded.

"Both of you stop," Clara sighed. "Let's just focus on finding the TARDIS."

The Doctor ran over to the same stallholder that Donna had talked to earlier.

"Um...excuse me! Excuse me!" he called out. "There was a box—big, blue box. Big, blue, wooden box...just over there. Where's it gone?"

"Sold it, didn't I?" the stallholder said smugly.

"But...it wasn't yours to sell," the Doctor said.

"It was on my patch, wasn't it? I got 15 sesterce for it. Lovely jubbly," the stallholder said.

"Listen, mister-" Clara started, but the Doctor held her back behind him.

"Who did you sell it to?" the Doctor asked.

"Old Caecilius," the stallholder said. "Look...if you want to argue, why don't you take it up with him? He's on Foss Street. Big villa, can't miss it."

"Thanks," the Doctor said, and then he, Clara, and Donna ran off again. "What did he buy a big, blue wooden box for?"

"Maybe he liked it as much as I do," Clara said.

Clara and Donna decided to wait, as the Doctor went to find Foss Street. While they were waiting, Donna found a place large enough that they could gather everyone from the city together. Clara was going to tell her she couldn't, but the Doctor showed up.

"Ha!" he said, running back to them. "I've got it! Foss Street, this way!"

"No, I've found this big sort of amphitheatre, I think...we can start there," Donna said. "We can get everyone together. Then, maybe they've got a great, big bell or something we could ring. Have they invented bells yet?"

"What do you want a bell for?" the Doctor asked, puzzled.

"To warn everyone!" Donna said, like it was obvious. "To start the evacuation! What time does Vesuvius erupt? When's it due?"

"It's 79 AD, 23rd of August, which makes Volcano Day tomorrow," the Doctor said seriously.

"Plenty of time," Donna said. "We can get everyone out easy."

"Except we're not going to," the Doctor said, taking Donna's hand, but she doesn't budge.

"But that's what you do," Donna said. "You're the Doctor. You save people."

"But not this time," the Doctor said. "Pompeii is a fixed point in history. What happens happens. There is no stopping it."

"Says who?" Donna asked, as the Doctor tried to get her to move again.

"Says me," the Doctor said.

"What, and you're in charge?" Donna asked.

"TARDIS, Time Lord...yeah," the Doctor said.

"Donna, human...no!" Donna said. "I don't need your permission. I'll tell them myself. Clara?"

"I think I'll stay out of this one, thanks," Clara said, not wanting to get in the middle of it, even though she knew the Doctor was right. You couldn't mess with with fixed points. This had to happen and people had to die, even though it was sad, yeah.

"You stand in the marketplace and announce the end of the world, they'll just think you're a mad old soothsayer," the Doctor said. "Now, come on. TARDIS, we are getting out of here."

He took Clara's hand and stormed off.

"Well, I just might have something to say about that, spaceman!" Donna said.

"Oh, I bet you will!" the Doctor said.

"Oh, stop it, you two!" Clara said. "You're giving me a headache."

"Well, sorry!" Donna said with sarcasm.

They found the villa with no problem and the Doctor just entered in.

"Doctor!" Clara hissed, before shaking her head and following him. When they entered the house, the ground started shaking again and the Doctor saved a bust from falling.

"Whoa!" the Doctor said, slapping the bust's cheeks. "There you go."

"Thank you, kind sir," said the man who had been going to catch it. "I'm afraid business is closed for the day. I'm expecting a visitor."

"Oh, that's me," the Doctor said, leaning forward to shake the man's hand. "I'm a visitor. Hello."

"Who are you?" the man asked.

"I am...Spartacus," the Doctor said.

"And so am I," Donna said.

"Mr. and Mrs. Spartacus?" the man asked.

"Oh no, we're not married," the Doctor said.

"Not together," Donna said. "She's Mrs. Spartacus," she indicated to Clara.

"Oh, then brother and sister?" the man asked. "Yes, of course. You look very much alike."

"Really?" the Doctor, Donna, and Clara all said together.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not open for trade," the man said.

"And that trade would be?" the Doctor asked.

"Marble," the Man said. "Lucius Caecilius. Mining, polishing, and design thereof. If you want marble, I'm your man."

"That's good," the Doctor said. "That's good, 'cause I'm the marble inspector."

He dug out his psychic paper and held it up.

"By the gods of commerce, an inspection," a woman said, taking a cup from a young man. "I'm sorry, sir. I do apologize for my son."

She then poured the contents into the pool in the room.

"Oi!" said the young man.

"This is my good wife, Matella," Caecilius said. "I—I must confess, we're not prepared for a-"

"Nothing to worry about," the Doctor said. "I—I'm sure you've got nothing to hide. Although, frankly, that...object...rather looks like wood to me."

The TARDIS was sitting in the corner of the room. Clara walked towards it, along with the Doctor and Donna.

"I only bought it today," Caecilius said.

"Ah, well," the Doctor said. "Caveat emptor."

"Oh, you're Celtic," Caecilius said. "That's lovely."

"I'm sure it's fine, but I might have to take it off your hands for a proper inspection," the Doctor said.

"Although, while we're here, wouldn't you recommend a holiday, Spartacus?" Donna asked.

"I don't know what you mean, Spartacus," the Doctor said.

"Oh, this lovely family, mother and father and son...Don't you think they should get out of town?" Donna asked.

"Donna," Clara warned from the corner of her mouth.

"Why should we do that?" Caecilius asked.

Clara put her hand over her face and then started to rub her temples.

"Well, the volcano for starters," Donna said.

"What?" Caecilius asked, puzzled.

"Volcano," Donna said.

"What-ano?" Caecilius asked.

"That great big volcano right on your doorstep," Donna said.

"Oh, Spartacus, for shame," the Doctor said. "We haven't even greeted the household gods yet."

He took Clara's hand and pulled her and Donna over towards a shrine.

"They don't even know what it is," the Doctor said in a low voice. "Vesuvius is just a mountain to them. The top hasn't blown off yet. The Romans haven't even got a word for volcano. Not until tomorrow."

"Oh, great," Donna said sarcastically. "They can learn a new word...when they die."

"Donna, stop it," the Doctor said.

"Listen, I don't know what sort of kids you've been flyin' around with in outer space, but you're not telling me to shut up," Donna said. "That boy...how old is he, sixteen? And tomorrow, he burns to death."

"And that's my fault?" the Doctor asked.

"Right now, yes!" Donna said.

"Oi! You two," Clara scolded in a mother-like voice.

A servant entered the room and announced, "Announcing Lucius Petrus Dextrus, Chief Augur of the city government."

An older man walked into the room, as if he was charge of everything. He was wearing a cloak that covered his right side, arm and all.

"Lucius, my pleasure, as always," Caecilius said. "A rare and great honour, sir, for you to come to my house."

He held out his hand, but Lucius ignored it.

"The birds are flying north...and the wind is in the west," Lucius said.

"Right," Caecilius said, puzzled. "Absolutely. That's good, is it?"

"Only the grain of wheat knows where it will grow," Lucius said.

"There now, Matella, have you ever heard such wisdom?"

"Never," Matella said. "It's an honour."

"Pardon me, sir, I have guests," Caecilius said. "This is Spartacus, Mrs. Spartacus, and, uh, Spartacus."

The Doctor, Clara, and Donna all waved.

"A name is but a cloud upon a summer wind," Lucius said.

"But the wind is felt most keenly in the dark," the Doctor said.

"Ah! What is the dark other than an omen of the sun?" Lucius asked.

"I concede that every sun must set..." the Doctor said.

"Ha!" Lucius said.

"...and yet, the son of the father must also rise," the Doctor finished.

"Very clever, sir," Lucius said. "Evidently a man of learning."

"Oh, yes, but don't mind me," the Doctor said. "Don't want to disturb the status quo."

"He's Celtic," Clara heard Caecilius whisper.

"We'll be off in minute," the Doctor said. He took Clara's hand and the two of them and Donna headed for the TARDIS.

"I'm not going," Donna said, subdued.

"You've got to," the Doctor said.

"Well, I'm not," Donna said.

"Donna, we can't interfere," Clara said softly. "It's got to happen, or else the whole universe can collapse."

The Doctor wasn't paying attention. Instead, he was looking over his shoulder at Caecilius and Lucius. The Doctor was still holding Clara's hand, so she got pulled back as well when he rejoined the two men.

"Oh, now that's...different," the Doctor said, looking over a marble piece that looked like a circuit. "Who designed that then?"

"My lord Lucius was very specific," Caecilius said.

"Where'd you get the pattern?" the Doctor asked.

"On the rain and the mist and the wind," Lucius said.

"Well, that looks like a circuit," Donna said.

"Made of stone," the Doctor said.

"Do you mean you just dreamt that up?" Donna asked.

"That is my job...as City Augur," Lucius said.

"What's that then, like the mayor?" Donna asked.

"Oh, ah, you must excuse my friend," the Doctor said. "She's from...Barcelona."

He lowered his voice and said, "This is an age of superstition...of official superstition. The augur is paid by the city to tell the future. 'The wind will blow from the west.' That's the equivalent of the 10:00 news."

"They 'see' the future," Clara said, using her fingers to quote 'see.'

A young woman joined them, looking very sick and pale.

"They're laughing at us," she said. "Those three, they use words like tricksters. They're mocking us."

"No, no," the Doctor said. "I meant no offence."

"I'm sorry," Matella said. "My daughter's been consuming the vapours."

"By the gods, Mother! What have you been doing to her?" the young man asked.

"Not now, Quintus," Matella said.

"But she's sick," Quintus said. "Just look at her."

"I gather I have a rival in this household," Lucius said. "Another with the gift."

"Oh, she's been promised to the Sybiline Sisterhood," Matella said proudly. "They say she has remarkable visions."

"The prophecies of women are limited and dull," Lucius said. "Only the men folk have the capacity for true perception."

"I'll tell you where the wind's blowing right now, mate," Donna said.

The ground started shaking again.

"The mountain god marks your words," Lucius said. "I'd be careful if I were you."

"Consuming the vapours, you say?" the Doctor asked.

"They give me strength," the young woman said.

"It doesn't look like it to me," the Doctor said.

"Is that your opinion...as a doctor?" she asked.

"I beg your pardon?" the Doctor asked.

"Doctor," she said. "That's your name."

"How did you know that?" the Doctor asked, bewildered.

"And you, you call yourself noble," she said.

"Now, then, Evelina, don't be rude," Metella said.

"No, no, no," the Doctor said. "Let her talk."

"You three came from so far away," Evelina said.

"A female soothsayer is inclined to invent all sorts of vagaries," Lucius said.

"Oh, not this time, Lucius," the Doctor said. "I reckon you've been out-soothsaid."

"Is that so...man from Gallifrey?" Lucius asked.

"What?" the Doctor asked.

"Strangest of images," Lucius said. "Your home is lost in fire, is it not?"

"Doctor, what are they doing?" Donna asked.

"And you, daughter of...London," Lucius said.

"How does he know that?" Donna asked.

"This is the gift of Pompeii," Lucius said. "Every single oracle tells the truth."

"But that's impossible," Donna said.

"Doctor, she is returning," Lucius said.

"Who is? Who's she?" the Doctor asked.

"And you, child lost in time," Lucius said.

"Who, me?" Clara asked.

"The one with no name," Lucius said.

"I have a name," Clara said.

"And you, Daughter of London...you have something on your back," Lucius said.

"What's that mean?" Donna asked, scared.

"Even the word 'Doctor' is false," Evelina said. "Your real name is hidden. It burns in the stars of the cascade of Madusa herself. You are a lord, sir. A lord...of time..."

She then fainted.

"Evelina!" Metella said, rushing to her daughter.

"Doctor, what did they mean, lost in time?" Clara asked.

"I don't know," the Doctor said. "But we can find out, together."

They took Evelina to her bed, where Donna and Clara stayed.

"She didn't mean to be rude," Metella said, as she took care of her daughter. "She's ever such a good girl. But when the gods speak through her..."

Metella unwrapped a cloth from around Evelina's arm and showed it to them.

"What's wrong with her arm?" Donna asked.

"An irritation of the skin," Metella said. "She never complains, bless her. We bathe it in olive oil every night."

"What is it?" Donna asked, walking closer.

"Evelina said you'd both come from far away," Metella said. "Please, have either of you ever seen anything like it?"

Clara examined Evelina's arm a little more closely. It was a dark gray colour with a slight red around that.

"It's stone," Donna said, touching her arm.

"But how is that possible?" Clara wondered.

Donna and Clara stayed with Evelina until she woke up. Then, Evelina decided it would be fun to dress them. Clara touched the blue material. She had picked it because it reminded her of the TARDIS. Donna was wearing purple and twirling around in it.

"You're not supposed to laugh," Donna said, as Evelina laughed. "Thanks for that. What do you think?"

She struck a pose.

"The goddess Venus," Donna said.

"Oh, that's sacrilege," Evelina said, laughing.

"Nice to see you laugh, though," Donna said, sitting beside Evelina on the bed. "What do you do in old Pompeii, then...girls your age? You got...mates? Do you go hangin' about 'round the shops? T.K. Maximus?"

"I'm promised to the sisterhood for the rest of my life," Evelina said, shaking her head.

"You get any choice in that?" Donna asked.

"It's not my decision," Evelina said. "I have the gift of sight. The sisters chose for me."

"That doesn't seem fair," Clara commented.

"It's not supposed to be," Clara said.

"Then...what can you see happening tomorrow?" Donna asked.

"Donna!" Clara hissed.

"Is tomorrow special?" Evelina asked.

"You tell me," Donna said. "What do you see?"

Evelina closed her eyes and said, "The sun will rise. The sun will set. Nothing special at all."

She then opened her eyes.

"Look...don't tell the Doctor I said anything, 'cause he'll kill me..." Donna said, looking specifically at Clara, who held up her hands, "but I've got a prophecy, too."

Evelina covered her eyes with her hands.

"Evelina, I'm sorry, but you've got to hear me out..." Donna said. "Evelina, can you hear me? Listen."

"There is only one prophecy," Evelina said.

"But everything I'm about to say to you is true," Donna said. "I swear. Just listen to me. Tomorrow, that mountain is going to explode. Evelina, please listen. The air is going to fill with ash and rocks...tons and tons of it and...this whole town in gonna get buried."

"That's not true," Evelina said.

"I'm sorry," Donna said. "I'm really sorry, but everyone's gonna die. Even if you don't believe me, just tell your family to get out of town...just for one day, just for tomorrow. But you've got to get out! Just leave Pompeii!"

"This is a false prophecy!" Evelina said, upset.

"I think you should just leave it, Donna," Clara said.

Evelina wanted to be with her mother again, so Donna and Clara followed her out into the main room. Then, the shaking started. But it wasn't the mountain shaking. It was more like footsteps. It reminded Clara of the film _Jurassic Park_, when the dinosaur was coming for them.

"What is it?" Metella asked. "What's that noise?"

"Doesn't sound like Vesuvius," Caecilius said.

The Doctor then came running in.

"Caecilius! All of you, get out!" the Doctor shouted.

"Doctor, what is it?" Donna asked.

"I think we're being followed," the Doctor said.

The grille over the hypocaust in the room was blown into the air.

"Just get out!" the Doctor shouted.

Clara stood back with Donna, as the Doctor tried to herd everyone else outside. The ground under the hypocaust started cracking and there was a loud growl. Everyone froze as a creature made of stone and magma forced its way through the floor.

"The gods are with us," Evelina said.

"Water!" the Doctor shouted. "We need water! Quintus, all of you, get water! Donna! Clara!"

Everyone was in a panic as they started running around the room. Clara followed after Donna to get water. When they were returning, each with a bucket, something, or someone, grabbed them from behind and covered their mouths.

"Mmm!" Clara struggled, trying to get away.

Back at the Sisterhood, Clara was knelt on the floor, with two women next to her, a knife at her throat. Donna, however, was lying on a sacrificial alter, tied up, a woman holding a dagger over her. Clara had a nasty feeling that she was next.

"You wait until the Doctor gets here!" she said and the knife was pressed a little closer to her neck.

"You have got to be kidding me," Donna said.

"The false prophet will surrender both her blood and her breath!" said the woman standing over Donna.

"I'll surrender you in a minute," Donna said. "Don't you dare!"

"You will be silent," the woman said.

"You might have eyes on the back of your hands but you'll have eyes in the back of your head by the time I finish with you!" Donna growled. "Let us...go!"

"Nice try, Donna," Clara said, feeling a drop of blood running down her throat. "Will you ease up?!"

"This prattling will cease...forever!" the woman said, raising the dagger above her head, ready to use it on Donna.

"Oh, that'll be the day," the Doctor said, entering.

"Doctor!" Clara exclaimed

"No man is allowed to enter the Temple of Sybil," the woman said.

"Oh, that's all right, just us girls," the Doctor said, walking towards them. "Do you know, I met the Sybil once. Hell of a woman. Blimey, she could dance a tarantella. Truth be told, I think she had a bit of a thing for me. I said it would never last. She said, 'I know.' Well, she would. You two all right there?"

"Oh, never better," Donna said sarcastically.

"Peachy," Clara said, also sarcastically. She was let go and wiped away the blood from her neck. "Bloody knives."

"I like the togas," the Doctor said, reaching into his pockets and took out his sonic screwdriver.

"Oh, thanks, dear," Clara said.

"Thank you," Donna said. "And the ropes?"

"Eh, not so much," the Doctor said, using his sonic on the ropes.

"What magic is this?" the woman asked that had been about to kill Donna.

"Let me tell you about the Sibyl...the founder of this religion," the Doctor said, flipping his sonic and putting it away. "She would be ashamed of you. All her wisdom and insight turned sour. Is that how you spread that word, eh? On the blade of a knife?"

"Yes...a knife that now welcomes you!" the woman said, raising the knife.

"Show me this man," said a voice behind the curtain. All the women in the room knelt. Except Clara and Donna, that is.

"High Priestess, the stranger would defy us!" the woman said.

"Let me see," the High Priestess said. "This one is different. He carries starlight in his wake."

The Doctor helped Clara off the ground, then they approached the curtain, along with Donna.

"Ah, very perceptive," the Doctor said. "Where do these words of wisdom come from?"

"The gods whisper to me," the High Priestess said.

"Oh, they've done far more than that," the Doctor said. "Ah, might I beg audience, look upon the High Priestess?"

The curtains parted and Clara gasped.

"Oh, my gosh!" Donna gasped as well. "What's happened to you?"

The High Priestess was sitting on a bed, completely covered in stone, no part of her skin left untouched by it.

"The heavens have blessed me," the High Priestess said.

"If I might..." the Doctor said, motioning that he wanted to come closer and she raised her arm. The Doctor knelt and touched it. "Does it hurt?"

"It is necessary," the High Priestess said.

"Who told you that?" the Doctor asked.

"The voices," the High Priestess said.

"Is that what's happening to Evelina?" Donna asked, turning to the sisters. "Is this what's gonna happen to all of you?"

"The blessings are manifold," said the main sister, pulling back her sleeve.

Donna touched her arm. "They're stone," she said.

"Exactly," the Doctor said, standing. "The people of Pompeii are turning to stone before the volcano erupts. But why?"

"This word...this image in your mind, this 'volcano,' what is that?" the High Priestess asked.

"More to the point, why don't you know about it?" the Doctor wondered. "Who are you?"

"High Priestess of the Sibyline," she said.

"No, no, no, no," the Doctor said. "I'm talking to the creature inside you. The thing that's seeding itself into a human body, in the dust in the lungs...taking over the flesh and turning it into...what?"

"Your knowledge is impossible," the High Priestess said.

"Oh, but you can read my mind," the Doctor said. "You know it's not. I demand you tell me who you are!"

"We...are...awakening!" the High Priestess said, in an entirely different voice.

"The voice of the gods!" the main sister said.

"Words of wisdom, words of power," the sisters all started chanting. "Words of wisdom, words of power."

"Name yourself!" the Doctor demanded, as the sisters kept chanting. "Planet of origin, galactic coordinates, species designation according to the universal ratification of the Shadow Proclamation."

"We...are...rising!" the High Priestess said.

"Tell me your name!" the Doctor said.

"Pyrovile!" the High Priestess said, throwing back her hood.

"Pyrovile," the sisters started chanting. "Pyrovile."

"What's a Pyrovile?" Donna asked.

"Well, that's a Pyrovile...growing inside her," the Doctor said. "She's at the halfway stage."

"Well, and that turns into?" Donna asked.

"That thing in the villa, that was an adult Pyrovile," the Doctor said.

"She's gonna turn into a giant rock and lava monster?" Clara asked.

"And the breath of a Pyrovile will incinerate you, Doctor," the High Priestess said.

"I warn you...I'm armed," the Doctor said, pulling out a water pistol. "Donna, Clara, get that grille open."

"What are...?" Donna asked.

"Just..." the Doctor said, jerking his head. Donna joined Clara at the hypocaust. The two of them worked on the grille and finally got it off.

"What are the Pyrovile doing here?" the Doctor asked.

"We fell from the heavens," the High Priestess said. "We fell so far and so fast we were rendered into dust."

"Right," said the Doctor. "Creatures of stone shatter on impact. When was that, seventeen years ago."

"We slept beneath for thousands of years," the High Priestess said.

"Okay, so seventeen years ago woke you up and now you're using human bodies to reconstitute yourself, but why the psychic powers?" the Doctor asked.

"We opened their minds and found such gifts," the High Priestess said.

"Yeah, okay, fine," the Doctor said. "You force yourself inside a human brain, use the latent psychic talent to bond. I get that. I get that. Yeah, but...seeing the future, that is way beyond psychic, you can see through time. Where does the gift of prophecy come from?"

"We got it!" Donna shouted out.

"Now, get down," the Doctor said, moving towards them, his water pistol aimed at the High Priestess.

"What, down there?" Donna asked.

"Yes, down there!" the Doctor said. "Why can't this lot predict that volcano? Why is it being hidden?"

"C'mon, Donna!" Clara said, starting to climb down into the hole.

"Sisters, I see into his mind," the main sister said. "The weapon is harmless."

"Yeah, but it's got a sting!" the Doctor said, shooting the High Priestess with the water. "Get down there!"

Donna dropped down into the hole after Clara and the Doctor followed.

"You fought her off with a water pistol," Donna said. "I bloody love you."

"Let's hope not," Clara joked, as the Doctor helped her up off the ground.

"This way," he said.

"Where are we going now?" Donna asked.

"Into the volcano," the Doctor said.

"No way," Donna said.

"Yes way," the Doctor said, twirling his water pistol. "Appian way."

"It's a bit hot in here," Clara said, sweating.

"But if it's aliens setting off the volcano, doesn't that make it all right? For you to stop it?" Donna asked.

"Still part of history," the Doctor said.

"Well, I'm history, too," Donna said. "You two saved me in 2008. You both saved us all. Why is that different?"

"Some things are fixed, some things are in flux," the Doctor said. "Pompeii is fixed."

"How do you know which is which?" Donna asked.

"Because that's how I see the universe," the Doctor said, stopping. "Every waking second, I can see what is, what was...what could be, what must not. That's the burden of the Time Lord, Donna. I'm the only one left."

"How many people died?" Donna asked, as the Doctor and Clara walked on.

"Stop it!" the Doctor said.

"Doctor!" Donna said, and he stopped and turned. "How many people died?"

"Twenty thousand," the Doctor said.

"Is that what you can see, Doctor?" Donna asked, and Clara wanted her to stop. "All twenty thousand? And you think that's all right, do you?"

"Donna, stop," Clara said and then a Pyrovile screeched.

"They know we're here! Come on," the Doctor said.

The first step Clara took as they were running nearly caught her on fire as there were pocket of flames coming up everywhere. The Doctor, Clara, and Donna kept running on, dodging the fire pockets and arrived in a huge cavern.

"It's the heart of Vesuvius," the Doctor said. Clara saw there were Pyroviles walking around everywhere. "We're right inside the mountain."

"There's tons of 'em," Donna said.

"What's that thing?" the Doctor wondered and took out a small telescope.

"Well, you'd better hurry up and think of something," Donna said. "Rocky IV's on its way."

"That's how they arrived...or what's left of it," the Doctor said, seeing the interior of a ship. "Escape pod? Prison ship? Gene back?"

"But why do they need a volcano?" Donna asked as the Doctor collapsed his telescope. "Maybe...it erupts and they launch themselves back in space or something."

"No, it's worse than that," the Doctor said.

"How can it be worse?" Donna asked, as a Pyrovile roared. "Doctor, it's getting closer."

"Heathens!" Lucius exclaimed from higher up in the cavern. "Defilers! They would desecrate your temple, my lord gods!"

"Come on!" the Doctor said, taking Clara's hand as the three of them ran across the cavern floor.

"We can't go in!" Donna said.

"We can't go back!" the Doctor said.

"Not unless you want to run into those things," Clara said.

"Crush them! Burn them!" Lucius shouted.

Clara nearly slid to her rear as she stopped suddenly as a Pyrovile rose up right in front of them. The Doctor pulled out his water pistol and used it on the Pyrovile. The Pyrovile shied away from it, and they kept running.

"There is nowhere to run, Doctor...One Lost in Time...and Daughter of London," Lucius said.

"Now, then, Lucius," the Doctor said, as they stood in front of the pod. "My lord Pyrovillian...don't get yourselves in the lava."

Clara snorted and shook her head.

"In the lava...no?" he asked Donna.

"No," Donna said.

"No," the Doctor said. "But if I might beg the wisdom of the gods before we perish...once this new race of creatures is complete...then what?"

Clara took a half step back as a Pyrovile walked towards them, crushing all the boulders in its path.

"My masters will follow the example of Rome itself, an almighty empire, bestriding the whole of civilization," Lucius said.

"But if you've crashed...and you've got all this technology, why don't you just go home?" Donna asked.

"The heaven of Pyrovillia is gone," Lucius said.

"What do you mean, 'gone?' Where's it gone?" the Doctor asked.

"It was taken," Lucius said. "Pyrovillia is lost. But there is heat enough is this world for our new species to rise."

"Yeah, I should warn you, it's 70 percent water out there," the Doctor said.

"Water can boil and everything will burn, Doctor!" Lucius said.

"Then the whole planet is at stake," the Doctor said, putting his water pistol away. "Thank you, that's all I needed to know. Donna! Clara!"

He pushed the two women into the pod, then followed, using his sonic screwdriver to close the door.

"Could we be any more trapped?" Donna wondered.

"Well, aren't you just a ray of sunshine?" Clara said.

"Little bit hot," Donna said.

"See, the energy converted takes lava, uses the power to create a fusion matrix, which wields Pyrovile to human. Now it's complete, they can convert millions," the Doctor said.

"Well, can you change it...with these controls?" Donna asked.

"'Course I can, but don't you see?" the Doctor said. "That's why the soothsayers can't see the volcano. There is no volcano. Vesuvius is never going to erupt. The Pyrovile are stealing all its power. They're gonna use it to take over the world."

"But you can change it back," Donna said.

"Well, I can avert the system, so the volcano will blow them up, yes, but...that's the choice, Donna," the Doctor said. "It's Pompeii or the world."

"Oh, my gosh," Donna said.

"If Pompeii is destroyed, then it's not just history, it's me," the Doctor said. "I make it happen."

"But the Pyrovile are made of rock," Donna said. "Maybe they can't be blown up."

"Vesuvius explodes with the force of 24 nuclear bombs," the Doctor said, working on the controls. "Nothing can survive it. Certainly not us."

"Never mind us," Donna said.

"As long as I'm with the two of you," Clara said, smiling sadly.

"Push this lever, then, and it's all over," the Doctor said, putting his hands on the lever. "Twenty thousand people."

Clara and Donna looked at each other, then both of them put their hands over the Doctor's on the lever. The three of them looked at each other before pressing down on the lever.

Clara heard the rumbling outside before the three of them were thrown about in the pod. Clara was sure she was going to be bruised as she, the Doctor, and Donna climbed out of the pod.

"It was an escape pod," the Doctor said.

"Um, Doctor," Clara said, looking at the volcano.

The Doctor grabbed Donna's and Clara's hands and they all started to run as lava and ash from the volcano followed after them. Clara was coughing and she was sure she was covered in ash as they ran through the streets back to the TARDIS.

Donna was yelling to everyone they passed.

"Don't!" she yelled. "Don't go to the beach! Don't go to the beach, go to the hills! Listen to me! Don't go to the beach, it's not safe! Listen to me..!"

She spotted a little boy, crying and alone, and went to him.

"Come here," Donna said softly.

"Give him to me!" a woman said, snatching the boy away from Donna.

"Donna!" Clara called to her. Donna was standing there, crying, until the Doctor grabbed her hand.

"Come on," he said to her.

When they got back to Caecilius' villa, the family was huddled together in fear.

"Gods save us, Doctor!" Caecilius cried. The Doctor only stared at them before heading to the TARDIS.

Having no choice, Clara followed after him.

"Doctor," she said, touching his arm. He pulled his arm away, going about the console, ready to dematerialize the TARDIS.

"You can't just leave them!" Donna said, entering the TARDIS.

"Don't you think I've done enough?" the Doctor asked. "History's back in place and everyone dies."

"You've got to go back!" Donna said. "Doctor, I'm telling you, take this thing back!"

The Doctor only released the brake on the TARDIS, dematerializing it.

"Clara, tell him!" Donna said.

"Not everyone has to die, Doctor," Clara said gently, as he showed no emotion on his face.

"It's not fair," Donna said.

"No, it's not," the Doctor said.

"But your own planet, it burned," Donna said.

"That's just it," the Doctor said, looking at Donna and Clara. "Don't you see, Donna, Clara? Can't you both understand? If I could go back and save them then I would, but I can't. I can never go back! I can't! I just...can't! I can't."

"Just someone," Donna said. "Please. Not the whole town. Just save someone."

"Doctor, she's right," Clara said softly. "Hasn't enough people died already?"

The Doctor looked between the two of them before setting the TARDIS back to Pompeii.

"Thank you!" Donna practically shouted in Clara's ear.

Clara used the monitor to see the family still huddled together. The Doctor opened the TARDIS door and reached out his hand and said, "Come with me."

Once the family was safe on board, the Doctor dematerialized the TARDIS and set her on a hill overlooking the town. Clara watched in sadness as the town was covered in ash and smoke. She had remembered reading about Pompeii in school with Rose and seeing all the pictures of bodies that had been found looking like living statues from the ash.

"It is never forgotten, Caecilius," the Doctor said. "Oh, time will pass, men will move on, and stories will fade, but one day...Pompeii will be found again...in thousands of years...and everyone will remember you."

"What about you, Evelina?" Donna asked. "Can you see anything?"

"The visions have gone," Evelina said.

"The explosion was so powerful, it cracked open a rift in time," the Doctor said. "Just for a second. That's what gave you the gift of prophecy. It echoed back into the Pyrovillian alternative. But not anymore. You're free."

"But tell me...who are you, Doctor...with your words...and your temple containing such size within?" Metella asked.

"Oh, we were never here," the Doctor said, putting his arm around Clara's shoulder. "Don't tell anyone."

"The great go Vulcan must be enraged," Caecilius said. "It's volcanic. It's like some sort of...volcano. All those people..."

The Doctor tugged on Clara's hand and they went into the TARDIS, followed by Donna.

"Thank you," Donna said.

"Yeah," the Doctor said. "You were right. Sometimes we need someone. Welcome aboard."

"Yeah," Donna said.

"Thank you, Donna," Clara said. "Not only did you help him, but you helped me as well."

"Yeah," Donna repeated and they all smiled at each other.


	45. Planet of the Ood

**Planet of the Ood**

Clara held onto the railing as the TARDIS materialized somewhere new.

"Set the controls to random!" the Doctor said. "Mystery tour. Outside that door could be any planet, anywhere, anywhen in the whole wide—are you alright?" he asked Donna.

"Terrified," Donna said. "I mean, history's one thing, but an alien planet..."

"I could always take you home," the Doctor said, and Clara smacked him for Donna.

"Yeah, don't laugh at me," Donna said.

"I know what it's like—everything you're feeling right now," the Doctor said. "The fear, the joy, the wonder—I get that!"

"Seriously?" Donna asked. "After all this time?"

"Yeah!" the Doctor said. "Why do you think I keep going?"

"I thought it was because of me," Clara said, fake pouting. She checked the monitor really quickly and was glad she did. According to it, it was snowing and freezing outside.

"Well, that too," the Doctor said.

Clara took her purple pea coat off the railing and slipped it on.

"Oh!" Donna said. "All right, then, the three of us! This is barmy!"

She walked to the door as the Doctor put on his own coat and took Clara's hand.

"I was born in Chiswick," Donna said. "I've only ever done package holidays. Now, I'm here. This is—I mean, it's—I dunno. It's all so—I don't even know what the word is!"

Donna stepped out of the door and Clara smirked.

"Oh, I've got the word," Donna said. "'Freezing'."

The Doctor and Clara joined her outside.

"Snow!" the Doctor said. "Ah! Real snow! Proper snow at last! That's more like it. Lovely. What do you think?"

"Bit cold," Donna shivered.

"It _is_ actual snow," Clara said, picking some up. "It's not just something breaking up in the atmosphere."

"Look at the view!" the Doctor said.

"It's gorgeous!" Clara said, admiring the mountains in the distance that were covered in snow.

"Yep," Donna commented. "A beautiful...cold view."

"Millions of planets, millions of galaxies and we're on this one," the Doctor said. "Molto bene! Belissimo! Says Donna, born in Chiswick. You've had a life of work and sleep, telly and rent, takeaway dinners, birthdays and Christmases, and two weeks holiday a year and then you end up here! Donna Noble, citizen of Earth, standing on a different planet. How about that, Donna?"

He turned around to find Donna gone and Clara giggled.

"Donna?" he asked.

Donna came out of the TARDIS wearing a large black coat with a fur-lined hood.

"Sorry," she said. "You were saying?"

"Better?" the Doctor asked.

"Lovely, thanks," Donna said.

"Comfy?" the Doctor asked.

"Yep," Donna said.

"Can you hear anything inside that?" the Doctor asked.

"Pardon?" Donna asked.

"Right," the Doctor said. "I was saying, citizen of the Earth-"

He broke off as a rocket flew by overhead.

"A rocket," Donna said, pointing out the obvious. "Blimey, a real, proper rocket. Now that's what I call a spaceship. You've got a box—he's got a Ferrari. Come on, let's see where it's going."

The Doctor looked a bit upset at that.

"Don't worry, dear," Clara said, linking her arm in his. "I love the TARDIS."

He seemed to cheer up a bit at that.

"Oh, this is awesome!" Clara exclaimed, kicking some snow up with her boots.

"Hold on—can you hear that, Clara? Donna, take your hood down," the Doctor said.

"What?" Donna asked, lowering her hood.

"That noise—it's like a song," the Doctor said. "Over there!"

Clara could almost hear something that sounded like a song in her head. It was so sad, it made her want to cry.

The Doctor broke into a run, and Clara and Donna followed. They found an Ood half-buried in snow.

"What is it?" Donna asked.

"An Ood," the Doctor and Clara both answered. Clara knelt by the Ood, with the Doctor, but kept her distance, remembering what had happened the last time she met the Ood.

"He's called an Ood," the Doctor said, pulling out his stethoscope.

"But its face..." Donna said.

"Donna, not now," the Doctor said. "It's a 'he,' not an 'it.' Give us a hand."

"Sorry," Donna said, kneeling by Clara.

The Doctor moved the stethoscope all over the Ood's chest and said, "I don't know where the heart is. I don't know if he's got a heart. Talk to him. Keep him going."

"It's all right," Donna said to the Ood. "We've got you. Um...what's your name?"

"Designated Ood Delta 50," the Ood said, as his translator ball lit up. Clara shivered as she remembered what those did to a human when used as a weapon. This Ood, though, seemed to be just fine.

"My name's Donna," Donna said, speaking into the translator ball.

"No, no, no, no," the Doctor said. "You don't need to."

"Sorry," Donna said. "This is the Doctor and Clara. Just what you need—a doctor. Couldn't be better, eh?"

"You've been shot," the Doctor said.

Clara, learning something from Martha, put her hands on the wound and put pressure on it, trying to keep the blood in.

"The circle-" Ood Delta 50 said.

"No, don't try to talk," Donna said.

"The circle must be broken," Ood Delta 50 said.

"The circle?" the Doctor asked. "What do you mean? Delta 50, what circle? Delta 50? What circle?"

Clara threw herself backwards in the snow, covered in blood, as the Ood opened his eyes and they were red. That was more the Ood she knew. Ood Delta 50 sat up and started growling at them. The growl faded and he fell back, dead.

"He's gone," Donna said, walking towards the body.

"Careful," the Doctor warned. The same warning had been on the tip of Clara's tongue.

"There you are, sweetheart," Donna said, putting her hand on the Ood's chest, then stroked his head. "We were too late. What do we do, do we bury him?"

"The snow will take care of that," the Doctor said.

"Who was he?" Donna asked. "What's an Ood?"

"They're servants—of humans in the 42nd century," the Doctor said. "Mildly telepathic. That was the song—it was his mind calling out."

"I couldn't hear anything," Donna said, standing up. "He sang as he was dying."

"His eyes turned red," the Doctor said.

"What's that mean?" Donna asked.

"Trouble," the Doctor said. "Come on. The Ood are harmless and completely benign. Except the last time Clara and I met them, there was this force, like a stronger mind, powerful enough to take them over."

"What sort of force?" Donna asked.

"A scary one," Clara shuddered as the Doctor said, "Long story."

"Long walk," Donna said.

"It was the devil," the Doctor said.

"If you're gonna take the mickey, I'll just put my hood back up," Donna said.

"He's not joking," Clara said.

"Must be something different this time, though," the Doctor said. "Something closer to home."

They stood on a cliff with what looked like a factory below them.

"Ah-ha! Civilization!" the Doctor exclaimed.

It was a long climb down and the Doctor flashed his psychic paper at the guard to get them into the factory. They ran up to a group of people that looked to be on a tour of the place.

"Sorry, sorry!" the Doctor said, as they ran up. "We're late! Don't mind us! Hello. The guards let us through."

"And you would be-?" the woman who was leading the group asked.

"The Doctor, Clara Tyler, and Donna Noble," the Doctor said, holding up his psychic paper.

"Representing the Noble Corporation, PLC Limited, Intergalactic," Donna said.

"Here to have a look around," Clara said, smiling.

"Must have fallen off my list," the woman said. "My apologies, it won't happen again. Now then, Dr. Noble, Mrs. Noble, and Miss Tyler, if you'd like to come with me."

"Oh, no, no, no," the Doctor said. "We're not married."

"We're so not married," Donna said.

"Never," the Doctor said.

"Never ever," Donna said.

"Of course," the woman said. "Here is your information pack. Vouchers inside. Now, if you'd like to come with me, the executive suites are nice and warm."

Clara started as an alarm sounded.

"Ooh, what's that?" the Doctor asked, pausing before going inside. "Sounds like an alarm."

"It's just a siren for the end of the work shift," the woman said. "Now then, this way! Quick as you can!"

"She's good on her feet," Clara whispered to the Doctor, who nodded.

Inside a large room, there were Ood on display, practically like animals. Clara was disgusted at the sight.

"As you can see, the Ood are happy to serve and we keep them in facilities of the highest standards," the woman said. "Here at Double-O—that's Ood Operations—we like to think of the Ood as our trusted friends. We keep the Ood healthy, safe, and educated. We don't just breed the Ood, we make them better. Because at heart, what is an Ood...but an extension of us?"

"Yeah, like you'd treat yourself like cattle," Clara grumbled.

"If your Ood is happy...then you'll be happy, too," the woman said, and the buyers around them applauded.

"I'd now like to point out a new innovation from Ood Operations," the woman said. "We've introduced a variety package with the Ood translator ball. You can now have the standard setting—How are you today, Ood?"

"I'm perfectly well, thank you," the first Ood on one of the pedestals said.

"Or, perhaps after a stressful day, a little something for the gentlemen," the woman said. "How are you, Ood?"

"All the better for seeing you," said the second Ood with a sultry female voice. Clara gave a snort and shook her head in disappointment.

"And the comedy classic option," the woman said. "Ood, you dropped something."

"D'oh!" the third Ood exclaimed in Homer Simpson's voice. Everyone laughed as Clara frowned. As scared as she was of the Ood last time, she really wanted to help them. They didn't deserve this life as slaves.

"All that for only five additional credits," the woman said. "The details are in your brochures. Now, there's plenty more food and drink, so don't hold back."

Clara followed the Doctor as he put on his brainy specs and went to the control board, while Donna went to get a drink. She then joined them at the screen.

"Ah, got it," the Doctor said. "The Ood-Sphere. I've been to this solar system before—years ago. Ages. Close to the planet Sense-Sphere. Let's widen it out...the year 4126. That is the Second Great and Bountiful Human Empire."

"4126?" Donna asked. "It's 4126? I'm in 4126?"

"Yup," Clara said.

"It's good, isn't it?" the Doctor asked.

"What's the Earth like now?" Donna asked.

"A bit full, but you see, the empire stretches out across three galaxies," the Doctor said.

"It's weird," Donna said. "I mean, it's brilliant, but...back home, the papers and the telly, they keep saying we haven't got long to live—global warming, flooding, all the bees disappearing."

"Yeah. That thing about the bees is odd," the Doctor said.

"But look at us—we're everywhere," Donna said. "Is that good or bad, though? I mean, are we like explorers or more like a virus?"

"Sometimes I wonder," the Doctor said.

"What are the red dots?" Donna asked, pointing at the screen.

"Ood distribution centres," the Doctor said.

"Across three galaxies?" Donna asked. "Don't the Ood get a say in this?"

Without waiting for an answer, she walked over to the first Ood that had the normal voice.

"Um...sorry, but..." Donna said, tapping it gently. "Hello. Tell me, are you all like this?"

"I do not understand, miss," the Ood said.

"Why do you say, 'miss?' Do I look single?" Donna asked.

"Back to the point," the Doctor said.

"Yeah," Donna said. "What I mean is, are there any free Ood? Are there any Ood running wild somewhere like wildebeest?"

"All Ood are born to serve," the Ood said. "Otherwise, we would die."

"You can't have started like that," Donna said. "Before the humans, what were you like?"

"The circle," the Ood said.

"What do you mean?" the Doctor asked. "What circle?"

"The circ—the circle—is-" the Ood said.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the woman said. "All Ood to hospitality stations, please."

All the Ood in the room left and the Doctor took off his brainy specs. He pulled out a map of the complex and said, "I've had enough of the schmoozing. Do you two fancy going off the beaten track?"

"Absolutely," Clara said.

"A Rough Guide to the Ood-Sphere? Works for me," Donna said.

"Yeah," the Doctor said.

Outside, they found a locked gate, which the Doctor used his sonic screwdriver on.

"Ood Shift 8 commencing," said a voice over the PA. "I repeat, Ood Shift 8 commencing."

They found themselves in a part of the complex that was obviously closed to visitors. They climbed stairs to the top to an open area that overlooked a bunch of Ood being marched. One Ood fell to its knees and a soldier walked over to it.

"Get up!" the soldier shouted. "I said, get up!"

He cracked his whip at the Ood and Clara fumed.

"Servants?" Donna asked. "They're slaves."

"Get up!" the soldier shouted and the Ood stood. "March!"

"Last time I met the Ood, I never thought, never asked..." the Doctor said.

"You were kinda preoccupied," Clara said, laying a hand on his arm.

"That's not like you," Donna said.

"I was busy," the Doctor said. "So busy, I couldn't save them. I had to let the Ood die. I reckon I owe them one."

"That looks like the boss," Donna whispered, pointing to the one man in a business suit.

"Let's keep out of his way," the Doctor said. "Come on."

They went down to the ground level, walking in front of all the warehouses. The Doctor and Clara were busy looking at the map of the complex, so they didn't notice that Donna had stopped. That was, until she whistled loudly at them. The Doctor instinctively ducked and turned around.

"Blimey, that was loud!" Clara exclaimed, rubbing her ears.

"Where did you learn to whistle?" the Doctor asked.

"West Ham, every Saturday," Donna said.

The Doctor used his sonic screwdriver on the door of the warehouse and it slide open. The warehouse was filled with a bunch of shipping containers. High above them, a large metal claw was lifting and moving containers. It reminded Clara of that game she played as a kid, where you tried to get the candy with the claw.

"Ood Export," the Doctor said. "You see? Lifts up the containers, takes 'em to the rocket ships. Ready to be flown out all over the three galaxies."

"That's horrible," Clara said.

"What, you mean—these containers are full of..." Donna trailed off.

"What do you think?" the Doctor asked, opening the nearest container. They stood in front of it to see standing inside, in formation.

"Oh, it stinks," Donna said. "How many of 'em do you think there are in each one?"

"A hundred? More?" the Doctor guessed.

"A great, big empire, built on slavery," Donna said.

"It's not so different from your time," the Doctor said.

"Oi, I haven't got slaves," Donna said.

"Who do you think made your clothes?" the Doctor asked.

"Is that why you travel round with a human at your side?" Donna asked. "It's not so you can show them the wonders of the universe, it's so you can take cheap shots."

"Welcome to my world," Clara said.

"Well, don't," Donna said to the Doctor. "Spaceman."

The Doctor smirked at her.

"I don't understand, the door was open—why didn't you just run away?" Donna said to the Ood.

"For what reason?" one Ood said.

"You could be free," Donna said.

"I do not understand the concept," the Ood said.

"What is it with that Persil ball?" Donna asked. "I mean, they're not born with it, are they? Why do they have to be all plugged in?"

"Ood, tell me, does 'the circle' mean anything to you?" the Doctor asked the Ood.

"The circle must be broken," all the Ood said together.

"Whoa, that is creepy," Donna said.

"Totally," Clara said.

"But what is it?" the Doctor asked. "What is the circle?"

"The circle must be broken," the Ood all said.

"Why?" the Doctor asked.

"So that we can sing," all the Ood said.

"What, like earlier?" Clara asked, thinking of the sad song that had been in her head.

An alarm started sounding then, and the Doctor took Clara's hand.

"That's us, come on!" the Doctor said.

The Doctor, Donna, and Clara ran through the mazes of containers. Donna disappeared and Clara got separated from the Doctor. She kept on running, until she ran into a group of soldiers that grabbed her.

"Oi! Let me go!" Clara cried out, struggling.

One of the guards pointed a gun at her and said, "Don't move!"

Clara was moved to one side of the building, as the claw moved around the warehouse. She was sure that it was following after either the Doctor or Donna.

"Let go of me!" Clara growled at the soldiers.

"Take her to the others," the soldiers said.

Clara was grabbed by the arms and led to a container that had the Doctor outside of it.

"Where's Donna?" Clara asked.

"Doctor, get me out of here!" she heard Donna shout.

"Question answered," Clara said.

"If you don't do what she says, you're really in trouble," the Doctor said. "Not from me—from her."

"He's is not joking," Clara said. "She will tear you in half."

"Unlock the container," the main soldier said.

The soldiers opened the door and Donna came running out to the Doctor and Clara and hugged them.

"Doctor! Clara!" Donna exclaimed.

"There we go, safe and sound," the Doctor said.

"Never mind about me, what about them?" Donna asked, as the Ood with red-eyes left the container and started killing the guards.

"Red alert! Fire!" the main soldier said. The guards started to open fire on the Ood, while the Doctor, Clara, and Donna escaped.

The Indian woman that had been leading the tour escaped the warehouse with them and they all ran far before stopping for breath.

"If the people back on Earth knew what was going on here..." Donna said.

"Don't be stupid," the woman said. "Of course they know."

"They know how you treat the Ood?" Donna asked.

"They don't ask," the woman said. "Same thing."

"Solana, the Ood aren't born like this," the Doctor said. "They can't be. A species born to serve could never evolve in the first place. What does the company do to make them obey?"

"That has nothing to do with me," Solana said.

"You should make it your business," Clara said.

"What, because you don't ask?" the Doctor asked Solana.

"That's Dr. Ryder's territory," Solana said.

"Where is he?" the Doctor asked. "What part of the complex? I could help with the red-eye. Now show me!"

Solana paused for a moment before calling out, "They're over here! Guards, they're over here!"

Clara glared at Solana before running off with the Doctor and Donna before the guards caught them. They kept running, until they spotted some guards.

"This way!" the Doctor said, changing directions. They ended up in front of a warehouse, in which the Doctor, Donna, and Clara stopped outside.

"Oh, can you hear it?" the Doctor said. "I didn't need the map. I should've listened!"

"I _can_ hear it," Clara said, as the Doctor unlocked the door with his screwdriver and locked it behind them once they were inside.

"Does that mean we're locked in?" Donna asked.

"Listen," the Doctor said. "Listen, listen, listen, listen."

They went down stairs and discovered cages.

"Oh, my head," the Doctor said.

"What is it?" Donna said.

Clara held the sides of her head, tears going down the sides of her face.

"Can't you hear it?" the Doctor asked Martha. "The singing?"

There were Ood huddled together in the cages and the Doctor switched on a light.

"They look different to the others," Donna said.

"That's because they're natural-born Ood," the Doctor said, as Clara knelt next to the cage, looking sadly at the Ood. "Unprocessed. Before they're adapted to slavery. Unspoiled. That's their song."

"I can't hear it," Donna said, as they knelt next to Clara.

"It's so sad," Clara said, still crying.

"Do you want to?" the Doctor asked Donna.

"Yeah," Donna said, facing the Doctor.

"It's the song of captivity," the Doctor said.

"Let me hear it," Donna said.

"Face me," the Doctor said, placing his fingertips to Donna's temple. "Open your mind. That's it. Hear it, Donna...hear the music."

Donna gasped and faced the Ood, tears running down her face, just like Clara.

"Take it away," Donna breathed.

"You sure?" the Doctor asked.

"I can't bear it," Donna said, as the Doctor put his fingertips to her head again. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," the Doctor said.

"But you two can still hear it," Donna said.

"All the time," the Doctor said.

"But it makes me want to help them even more," Clara said, determined.

The Doctor pulled out his sonic and used it on the Ood cage.

"They're breaking in," Donna said.

"Ah, let 'em," the Doctor said, entering the cage. The Ood all shuffled away. "What are you holding?"

The Ood were all holding something in their hands and Clara crept forward for a better look.

"Friend," the Doctor said. "Doctor, Donna, Clara, friend. Look at me. Let me see. That's it. That's it, go on. Go on."

The Ood held out his cupped hands and opened them to reveal something. Clara peeked over the Doctor's shoulder.

"Is that-?" Donna wondered.

"It's a brain," the Doctor said. "A hindbrain. The Ood are born with a secondary brain. Like the amygdala in humans, it processes memory and emotion. You get rid of that, you wouldn't be Donna anymore. You'd be like an Ood. A processed Ood."

"So the company...cuts off their brains," Donna said.

"And stitches on the translator," the Doctor said.

"And removes emotions like a Cyberman," Clara said sadly.

"Like a lobotomy," Donna said. "I spent all that time looking for you, Doctor and Clara, because I thought it would be so wonderful out here. I want to go home."

"It has to get worse before it can get better," Clara said, trying to help Donna.

Above them, the guards burst into the warehouse.

"They're with the Ood, sir," one guard said.

The Doctor slammed the cage shut, locking the three of them inside, with the Ood.

"What are you gonna do, then?" the Doctor asked. "Arrest me? Lock me up? Well, you're too late! Hah!"

"Oh, he's gone mad," Clara said, as the guards got into the cage and captured them.

They were taken back to Ood Operations and handcuffed to a pole.

"Why don't you just come out and say it?" the boss said. "FOTO activists."

"If that's what Friends of the Ood are trying to prove, then yes," the Doctor said.

"The Ood were nothing without us—just animals roaming around on the ice," the man said.

"That's because you can't hear them." the Doctor said.

"You disgust me," Clara spat at the man.

"Easy sweetheart," the man said. "They welcomed it! It's not as if they put up a fight."

"You idiot!" Donna said. "They're born with their brains in their hands, don't you see? That makes them peaceful! They've got to be because a creature like that would have to trust anyone it meets."

"Nice one," the Doctor said.

"Very well put," Clara commended her.

"Thank you," Donna said to the two of them.

"The system's worked for 200 years," the man said. "All we've got is a rogue batch. But the infection is about to be sterilized. Mr. Kess, how do we stand?"

"Canisters primed, sir," said a man over the comm. "As soon as the core heats up, the gas is released. Give it 200 marks...and counting."

"You're going to gas them!?" the Doctor exclaimed.

"Kill the livestock," the man said. "The classic foot-and-mouth solution. Still works."

A moment later, alarms started blaring.

"What the hell?" the boss said. He ran off to investigate.

"I really hate handcuffs," Clara said, her wrists feeling bruised.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said.

"Not your fault," Clara said. "It was his," she said, referring to the Master.

The boss came back with another man.

"Change of plans," the boss said.

"No reports of trouble off-world, sir," the other man said. "It's still contained to the Ood-Sphere."

"Then we've got a public duty to stop it before it spreads," the boss said.

"What's happening?" the Doctor asked.

"Everything you wanted, Doctor," the boss said. "No doubt they'll be a full police investigation once this place has been sterilized, so I can't risk a bullet to the head. I'll leave you to the mercies of the Ood."

He headed for the door, leaving them.

"But, Mr. Halpen, there's something else, isn't there?" the Doctor asked. "Something we haven't seen."

Halpen stopped at the door.

"What do you mean?" Donna asked.

"The creature couldn't survive with a separate forebrain and hindbrain, they'd be at war with themselves," the Doctor said. "There's got to be something else, a third element. Am I right?"

"Again, so clever," Halpen said.

"It's got to be connected to the red-eye," the Doctor said. "What is it?"

"It won't exist for very much longer," Halpen said, looking the Doctor in the eye. "Enjoy your Ood."

As soon as everyone left, the Doctor, Clara, and Donna tried to free themselves.

"Well, do something!" Donna said. "You're the one with all the tricks! You must've met Houdini!"

"These are really good handcuffs!" the Doctor said.

"Oh, I'm glad of that!" Donna said. "At least we've got quality!"

"Can you get to your sonic?" Clara wondered.

"No," the Doctor said.

The door across from them opened and the Doctor, Donna, and Clara stopped struggling as there were Ood standing there. They had red-eye and were advancing.

"No, stop!" Clara said. "We're your friends!"

"Doctor, Donna, Clara, friends!" the Doctor said.

"The circle must be broken!" Donna shouted.

"Doctor, Donna, Clara, friends!" the Doctor said.

"We won't hurt you!" Clara said. "We're trying to help you!"

The three of them kept repeating these things over and over.

"Friends, friends, friends!" the Doctor said.

"The circle must be broken!" Donna said.

"We're friends of the Ood," Clara said.

The three of them spoke even faster as the Ood was right in front of them. The Ood held out their translator balls just inches from the Doctor's, Clara's, and Donna's faces, but stopped. Their translator balls switched off and the Ood held their heads in their hands. They lifted them again and their eyes were normal.

"Doctor. Donna. Clara. Friends," the Ood said.

"That's me! Us!" Donna said.

"Yes, that's us! Friends! Oh, yes!" the Doctor said.

"We're your friends!" Clara said, grinning.

Once freed, by Clara reaching into the Doctor's pocket for his sonic screwdriver, the three of them ran down the stairs and outside. They dodged across the compound, getting around the fighting between the Ood and the guards. The Doctor paused for a second, trying to get his bearing.

"I don't know where it is!" the Doctor said. "I don't know where they've gone!"

"What are we looking for?!" Donna asked, as they continued running.

"Might be underground, like some sort of cave or a cavern or..." the Doctor trailed off, thinking.

An explosion went off near them and Clara was thrown on top of the Doctor as the three of them fell to the ground.

"All right?" the Doctor asked, after helping Clara up.

An Ood was standing right in front of them, but this one was different. He had a symbol on his jacket, unlike all the other Ood. The Ood, which was called Sigma, led them to a warehouse and the Doctor used his sonic to open the door.

It stank inside, but Clara gasped at the sight before them. There was a giant brain down below with an energy field around it.

"The Ood brain," the Doctor said. "Now it all makes sense. "That's the missing link. The third element, binding them together. Forebrain, hindbrain, and this. The telepathic centre. It's a shared mind...connecting all the Ood in song."

Behind them, a weapon clicked. The Doctor, Donna, and Clara all turned around to see Halpen holding a gun at them.

"Cargo," Halpen said. "I can always go into cargo. I've got the rockets, I've got the sheds. Smaller business. Much more manageable without livestock."

"He's mined the area," said Dr. Ryder from behind Halpen.

"You're gonna kill it," Donna said.

"They found that thing centuries ago beneath the northern glacier," Halpen said.

"Those pylons," the Doctor said to Donna and Clara.

"In a circle," Donna said. "'The circle must be broken'."

"That's what the Ood meant," Clara said.

"Dampening the telepathic field, stopping the Ood from connecting for 200 years," the Doctor said.

"And you, Ood Sigma, you brought them here," Halpen said. "I expected better."

"My place is at your side, sir," Ood Sigma said, moving to stand behind Halpen.

"Still subservient," Halpen chuckled. "Good Oo-"

He couldn't even finish his sentence.

"If that barrier thing's in place, how come the Ood started breaking out?" Donna asked.

"Maybe it's taken centuries to adapt," the Doctor said. "The subconscious reaching out."

"But the process was too slow, had to be accelerated," Dr. Ryder said. "You should never have given me access to the controls, Mr. Halpen. I lowered the barrier to it minimum. Friends off the Ood, sir. It's taken me ten years to infiltrate the company. And I succeeded."

"Yes," Halpen said. "Yes, you did."

Halpen then pushed Dr. Ryder over the railing and Ryder was absorbed by the brain.

"No!" Clara cried.

"You...murdered him," Donna said.

"Very observant, Ginger," Halpen said. "Now then, can't say I've ever shot anyone before...can't say I'm gonna like it, but, uh, it's not exactly a normal day, is it? Still..."

He held his gun up to fire.

"Would you like a drink, sir?" Ood Sigma asked.

"I think hair loss is the least of my problems right now, thanks," Halpen laughed.

Ood Sigma went and stood in front of the Doctor, Donna, and Clara, holding out a glass.

"Please have a drink, sir," Ood Sigma said and the Doctor put his hand on Sigma's shoulder.

"If—if you're gonna stand in the way, I'll shoot you, too," Halpen said. He had trouble speaking the last words.

"Please have a drink, sir," Ood Sigma said.

"Have—have you...poisoned me?" Halpen asked.

"Natural Ood must never kill, sir," Ood Sigma said.

"What is that stuff?" the Doctor asked.

"Ood-graft suspended in a biological compound," Ood Sigma said.

"What the hell does that mean?" Halpen asked, looking sick.

"Oh, dear," the Doctor said.

"Tell me!" Halpen demanded.

"Funny thing, the subconscious," the Doctor said. "Takes all sorts of shapes. It came out in the red-eye as revenge. It came out in the rabid Ood as anger. And then there was patience. All that intelligence and mercy focused on Ood Sigma. How's the hair loss, Mr. Halpen?"

"What have you done?" Halpen asked.

"Oh, they've been preparing you for a very long time," the Doctor said. "And now you're standing next to the Ood brain. Mr. Halpen, can you hear it? Listen."

"What have you—I'm...not-" Halpen stuttered. Clara could hear the Ood song every since they entered the warehouse.

Halpen dropped the gun as Ood Sigma stepped out of the way. Halpen gripped his head in pain and cried out. Clara looked at him in disgust as he pulled away his scalp and revealed an Ood head underneath. Tentacles fell out of his mouth.

"They—they turned him into an Ood?" Donna asked.

"Yep," the Doctor said.

"That's disgusting," Clara said, wrinkling her nose.

"He's an Ood," Donna said.

"I noticed," the Doctor said.

Halpen made a strange gurgling noise before coughing up his secondary brain into his hands.

"He has become Ood-kind and we will take care of him," Ood Sigma said.

"It's weird, being with you two," Donna said. "I can't tell what's right and what's wrong anymore."

"It's better that way," the Doctor said. "People who know for certain tend to be like Mr. Halpen."

There was a loud beeping noise in the warehouse.

"Oh!" the Doctor said, turning off the detonation packs. "That's better. And now...Ood Sigma, will you allow me the honour?"

"It is yours, Doctor," Ood Sigma said.

"Oh, yes!" the Doctor shouted, going to the equipment powering the field. "Stifled for over 200 years but not anymore. The circle is broken. The Ood can sing!"

Clara giggled as the field around the brain was shut off and she could hear the song that was now being sung. It was a beautiful song this time, instead of the song of captivity.

"I can hear it!" Donna said as Ood Sigma raised his arms.

This time, Clara's tears were ones of joy as they went back to the TARDIS. The Ood followed them and they all stood outside of the TARDIS.

"The message has gone out," the Doctor said. "That song resonated across the galaxies. Everyone heard it. Everyone knows. The rockets are bringing them back. The Ood are coming home."

"We thank you, Doctor-Donna, Clara, friends of the Ood-kind," Ood Sigma said. "And what of you now? Will you stay? There is room in the song for you."

"Oh—I've—I've sorta got a song of my own, thanks," the Doctor said.

"I think your song must end soon," Ood Sigma said.

"Meaning?" the Doctor asked.

"Every song must end," Ood Sigma said.

"Yeah," the Doctor said, then turned to Donna. "Um, what about you? Do you still want to go home?"

"No," Donna said. "Definitely not."

"Then we'll be off," the Doctor said.

"Take this song with you," Ood Sigma said.

"We will," Donna said.

"Always," the Doctor said.

"It's beautiful," Clara said.

"And know this, Doctor-Donna, Clara, you will never be forgotten," Ood Sigma said. "Our children will sing of the Doctor-Donna, Clara, and our children's children, and the wind and the ice and the snow will carry your names forever."

Clara could still hear the Ood singing until the TARDIS had completely dematerialized.


	46. The Sontaran Strategem

**The Sontaran Stratagem**

Clara was really nervous, clutching the pilot's seat tightly, as Donna was at the controls. The Doctor was watching her closely, looking very nervous.

"I can't believe I'm doing this!" Donna said.

"Me, neither," Clara said, looking scared.

"No, neither can I," the Doctor said. "Whoa, careful."

He banged on the console with a mallet before lifting a lever.

"Left hand down! Left hand down!" the Doctor said. "Getting a bit too close to the 1980s."

"What am I gonna do, put a dent in 'em?" Donna asked.

"Well, someone did," the Doctor said.

"Or kill us," Clara said, as a mobile rang.

"Hold on—that's a phone!" Donna said. The Doctor walked around the console and pulled out a mobile and looked at it.

"Isn't that the one Martha gave you?" Clara wondered.

"You've got a mobile?" Donna asked. "Since when?"

"It's not mine," the Doctor said, then opened it, leaning on the seat by Clara. "Hello?"

A minute later, the Doctor hung up and said, "Right, Earth, 21st century. Sorry, Donna, but best if I do this."

"Fine, spaceman," Donna said, sitting by Clara. The two of them held on to the seat tightly as the Doctor landed them.

Clara followed the Doctor out the door and they stood in front of the door. Martha Jones was standing in the alley way, looking at them.

"Martha Jones," the Doctor said.

"Doctor, Clara," Martha said.

Clara grinned as the Doctor and Martha slowly approached each other before she held out her arms and he picked her up in a big hug. Clara ran to Martha and also hugged her.

"Ah, yeah!" the Doctor said. "You haven't changed a bit!"

"Neither have you two!" Martha said.

"How's the family?" the Doctor asked.

"You know," Martha said. "Not so bad. Recovering."

Donna stepped out of the TARDIS and stood behind Clara.

"What about you?" the Doctor asked her.

"Right," Martha said. "I should have known. Didn't take you long to replace me."

"Now, don't start a fight," the Doctor said. "Martha, Donna. Donna, Martha. Please don't fight. I can't bear fighting."

"You wish," Donna said, shaking Martha's hand. "I've heard all about you. He talks about you all the time."

"I dread to think," Martha said.

"No, no, no," Donna said. "He says nice things. Good things. Nice things. Really good things."

"Oh, my gosh, he's told you everything," Martha said.

"Didn't take you long to get over it, though," Donna said. "Who's the lucky man?"

"Oh, my gosh!" Clara squealed, seeing the ring.

"What man?" the Doctor asked. "Lucky what?"

"She's engaged, you prawn," Donna said.

"It's gorgeous!" Clara said, as Martha wiggled the fingers on her left hand.

"Really? Who to?" the Doctor asked.

"Tom," Martha said, winking at Clara. "That Tom Milligan. He's in paediatrics working out in Africa right now. And yes, I know, I've got a doctor who disappears off to distant places—tell me about it."

"Congratulations!" Clara said, hugging Martha again.

"Is he skinny?" Donna asked.

"No, he's sort of...strong," Martha said.

"He is too skinny for words," Donna said. "You give him a hug, you get a paper cut."

"I feel bad for you," Martha said, winking at Clara, who turned red at the hint.

"Shut up," Clara said.

"I'd rather you were fighting," the Doctor said.

"Dr. Jones, report to base, please," said a woman's voice on Martha's radio.

"Speaking of which," Martha said, then spoke into the radio. "This is Dr. Jones. Operation Blue Sky is as go, go, go. I repeat, this is a go."

The Doctor, Donna, and Clara followed after Martha, as soldiers, Jeeps, and a large lorry came down the road.

"Unified Intelligence Taskforce, raise that barrier now!" one soldier said. "Leave your safeties on, lads, it's non-hostiles!"

"All workers, lay down your tools and surrender!" a second soldier said over a bullhorn.

"Greyhound Six to Trap One," Martha said. "B Section, go, go, go! Search the ground floor, grid pattern Delta."

"What are you searching for?" the Doctor asked.

"Illegal aliens," Martha said.

"This is a UNIT operation!" the second soldier said with the bullhorn. "All workers lay down your tools and surrender immediately!"

Clara was very confused as the workers all got down on their knees, hands over their heads.

"B Section mobilized!" Martha said into her radio. "E Section, F Section, on my command!"

"Is that what you did to her, turned her into a soldier?" Donna asked the Doctor.

The Doctor didn't answer her. Martha came striding back up to them.

"You're qualified now?" the Doctor asked. "You're a proper doctor."

"UNIT rushed it, though, given my experience in the field," Martha said. "Here we go. We're establishing a field base on site. They're dying to meet you."

"Wish I could say the same," the Doctor said.

"Your field base is in the back of a lorry?" Clara asked skeptically.

"Yep," Martha said, as they entered the back of it.

"Operation Blue Sky complete, sir," Martha said, walking up to a man who looked like he was in charge. "Thanks for letting me take the lead. And this...this is the Doctor. Doctor, Colonel Mace."

"Sir," Colonel Mace said, saluting.

"Oh, don't salute," the Doctor said.

"But it's an honour, sir," Colonel Mace said. "I've read all the files on you. Technically speaking, you're still on staff. You never resigned."

"What, you used to work for them?" Donna asked.

"Yeah," the Doctor said. "A long time ago, back in the 70s—or was it the 80s? It was all a bit more homespun back then."

"Times have changed, sir," Colonel Mace said.

"That's enough of the 'sir'," the Doctor said.

"Come on though, Doctor," Martha said. "You've seen it. You've been on board the Valiant. We've got massive funding from the United Nations, all in the name of Homeworld Security."

"A modern UNIT for the modern world," Colonel Mace said.

"What, and that means arresting ordinary workers?" Donna asked. "In the streets? In broad daylight? It's more like Guantanamo Bay out there. Donna, by the way. Donna Noble and this is Clara Tyler, since you didn't ask. I'll have a salute."

The Doctor gave Mace a slight nod when he looked at him.

"Ma'am," Mace said, saluting. Clara could see why the Doctor didn't like it.

"Thank you," Donna said.

"Tell me what's going on in that factory," the Doctor said.

"Yesterday, fifty-two people died in identical circumstances right across the world, in 11 different time zones," Colonel Mace said. "5 a.m. in the UK, 6 a.m. in France, 8 a.m. in Moscow, 1 p.m. in China-"

"You mean they died simultaneously?" the Doctor asked.

"Exactly," Colonel Mace said. "52 deaths at the exact same moment worldwide."

"How did they die?" the Doctor asked.

"They were all inside their cars," Colonel Mace said.

"They were poisoned," Martha said. "I checked the biopsies. No toxins. Whatever it is, left the system immediately."

"What have the cars got in common?" the Doctor asked.

"Completely different makes but all fitted with ATMOS," Martha said. "And that is the ATMOS factory."

"What's ATMOS?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, come on, even I know that," Donna said. "Everyone's got ATMOS."

"Yeah, but what is it?" Clara asked.

"Follow me," Martha said, and she led them into the factory. They walked along a catwalk above the factory floor and said, "Stands for 'Atmospheric Emission System.' The ATMOS in your car reduces CO2 emissions to zero."

"Zero?" the Doctor asked. "No carbon? None at all?"

"And you get a sat-nav thrown in, plus 20 quid in shopping vouchers if you introduce a friend," Donna said. "Bargain."

Colonel Mace walked up and joined them.

"And this is where they make it, Doctor, shipping worldwide," Colonel Mace said. "Seventeen factories across the globe, but this is central depot, sending ATMOS to every country on Earth."

"And you think ATMOS is alien?" the Doctor asked.

"It's our job to investigate that possibility," Colonel Mace said. "Doctor?"

Colonel Mace walked off and the Doctor took Clara's hand before following after him.

"Come on, everybody, up the pace," a soldier said, as they passed by. "We haven't got all day now."

"And here it is, laid bare," Colonel Mace said, leading them into a small office. "ATMOS can be threaded through any and every make of car."

"You must've checked it before it went on sale," the Doctor said.

"We did," Martha said. "We found nothing. That's why I thought we needed an expert."

"Really?" the Doctor asked, slipping on his brainy specs. "Who did you get?"

Clara gave him a look that said, "Are you really that thick?" as did everyone else in the room.

"Oh, right! Me! Yes! Good," the Doctor said, finally catching on.

"Seriously, Doctor?" Clara asked.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," Clara said, shaking her head.

"Okay, so why would aliens be so keen on cleaning up our atmosphere?" Donna asked.

"Very good question," the Doctor said.

"Maybe they want to help—get rid of pollution and stuff," Donna said.

"Do you know how many cars there are on planet Earth?" the Doctor asked. "800 million. Imagine that. If you could control them, you'd have 800 million weapons."

"But, is anyone controlling them?" Clara asked. "Or is it a random act of kindness?"

"We'll find out," the Doctor said, picking up an ATMOS device and started examining it. Donna had disappeared quite suddenly. "Ionizing nano-membrane carbon dioxide converter—which means that ATMOS works. Filters the CO2 at a molecular level."

"We know about that," Colonel Mace said, returning and leaning over the Doctor. "What's it's origin? Is it alien?"

"No, but it's decades ahead of its time," the Doctor said. "Look, do you mind? Could you stand back a bit?"

"Sorry, have I done something wrong?" Colonel Mace said.

"You're carrying a gun," the Doctor said. "I don't like people with guns hanging around me, all right?"

"If you insist," Colonel Mace said.

"He does," Clara said, as Colonel Mace walked away.

"Tetchy," Martha said.

"Well, it's true," the Doctor said.

"He's a good man," Martha said.

"People with guns are usually the enemy in my books," the Doctor said. "You seem quite at home."

"If anyone got me used to fighting, it's you," Martha said, as the Doctor took his sonic screwdriver to the device.

"Oh, right, so it's my fault," the Doctor said.

"Well, you got me the job," Martha said. "Besides, look at me."

The Doctor turned and looked at her, as did Clara.

"Am I carrying a gun?" Martha asked.

"Suppose not," the Doctor said.

"Well, duh, she learned that from you," Clara said.

Martha nodded and said, "It's all right for you. You can just come and go, but some of us have got to stay behind. So, I've got to work from the inside and by staying inside, maybe I stand a chance of making them better."

"There you go, Doctor," Clara said.

"Yeah?" the Doctor said, smiling. "That's more like Martha Jones."

"I learnt from the best," Martha said.

"Well..." the Doctor said.

"Yes, thank you, thank you," Clara said, grinning, joking like she was the best.

Donna then entered the room and in a very Donna-like way said, "Oi, you lot! All your storm troopers and your sonics—rubbish. Shoulda come with me."

"Where have you been?" the Doctor asked, as Colonel Mace reentered the room.

"Personnel," Donna said. "That's where the weird stuff's happening—in the paperwork. 'Cause I spent years working as a temp, I can find my way around an office blindfold, and the first thing I noticed is an empty file."

"Why, what's inside it?" the Doctor asked. "Or what's not inside it?"

"Sick days," Donna said, opening the file to show it was empty.

"That's impossible," Clara said, puzzled.

"There aren't any," Donna said. "Hundreds of people working here, and no one's sick. Not one hangover, man flu, sneaky little shopping trips. Nothing. Not ever. They don't get ill."

"That can't be right," Colonel Mace said, taking the folder from her.

"You've been checking out the buildings, should've been checking out the workforce," Donna said.

"I can see why he likes you," Martha said.

"She's brilliant," Clara beamed at Donna.

"Hmm," Donna said.

"You are good," Martha said.

"Super Temp," Donna said.

"Dr. Jones, set up a medical post, start examining the workers," Colonel Mace said. "I'll get them sent through."

"Come on, Donna, Clara, give me a hand," Martha said.

"Thanks, but I'm gonna stay with the Doctor to make sure he doesn't cause trouble," Clara said, winking at Martha, who chuckled.

Clara then followed the Doctor and Colonel Mace out of the room and to the factory floor.

"So, this, this ATMOS thing, where'd it come from?" the Doctor asked.

"Luke Rattigan himself," Colonel Mace said.

"And himself would be?" the Doctor asked.

"Child genius," Colonel Mace said, pulling the information up on a computer. "Invented the Fountain 6 search engine when he was 12 years old. Millionaire overnight. Now runs the Rattigan Academy. A private school educating students handpicked from all over the world."

"There's something about him..." Clara said. "I just can't put my finger on it. He kinda creeps me out."

"A hothouse for geniuses—wouldn't mind going there," the Doctor said, after looking at Clara. Colonel Mace looked at the Doctor, puzzled. "I get lonely."

Clara snorted and shook her head. The Doctor grinned at her before taking her hand and following after Colonel Mace who led them to the Docking Bay.

"You are not coming with me," the Doctor said to Colonel Mace. "I want to talk to this Luke Rattigan, not point a gun at him."

"It's ten miles outside London," Colonel Mace said. "How are you going to get there?"

"Then get me a Jeep," the Doctor said.

"And we'll get there," Clara said.

"According to the records, you travel by TARDIS," Colonel Mace said.

"Yeah, but, if there is a danger of hostile aliens, I think it best to keep a super-duper time travel machine away from the front line," the Doctor said.

"I see," Colonel Mace said. "Then you do have weapons but you choose to keep them hidden. Jenkins?"

"Sir!" said a soldier coming up to them.

"You will accompany the Doctor and his companion and take orders from him," Colonel Mace said.

"I don't do orders," the Doctor said.

"Any sign of trouble, get Jenkins to declare a Code Red. And good luck, sir," Colonel Mace said, saluting the Doctor.

"I said no salutes," the Doctor said.

"Now you're giving orders," Colonel Mace said, and Clara snorted and smirked.

"A bit cheeky, you are," the Doctor said, as Colonel Mace left.

"Hey, Donna," Clara said, as Donna walked up to them.

"Doctor, Clara," Donna said.

"Oh, just in time," the Doctor said, grabbing her hand and pulling her to the Jeep. "Come on! Come on, we're going to the country. Fresh air, geniuses, what more could you ask?"

"I'm not coming with you two," Donna said. "I've been thinking. I'm sorry...I'm going home."

"Really?" the Doctor asked in disbelief.

"I've got to," Donna said.

"Well, if that's what you want," the Doctor said. Clara was standing behind the Doctor, smirking, knowing what Donna meant. "I mean, it's a bit soon. I had so many places I wanted to take you. The Fifteenth Broken Moon of the Medusa Cascade, the lightening skies of Cotter Palluni's World, the diamond coral reefs of Kaata Flo Ko...thank you. Thank you, Donna Noble. It's been brilliant. You—you've saved my life in so many ways."

Donna nodded and Clara held her hand over her mouth, trying to hold in her laughter.

"You're...you're—you're just popping home for a visit. That's what you mean," the Doctor said.

"You dumbo," Donna said.

"And then you're coming back," the Doctor said. Clara couldn't hold it in anymore; she started bursting out laughing.

"Do you know what you are?" Donna asked. "A great, big, outer-space dunce."

"Yeah," the Doctor said.

"Ready when you are, sir, ma'am," Jenkins said.

"What's more, you can give me a lift," Donna said. "Come on. Broken Moon of what?"

"I know, I know," the Doctor said.

Clara wasn't laughing anymore as she was sitting in the very back of the Jeep, poking her head through a small window to the front. She gladly climbed out of the back of the Jeep when they dropped Donna off and climbed in the front next to Jenkins.

"I'll walk the rest of the way," Donna said. "I'll see you back at the factory, yeah?"

"Bye!" the Doctor said, climbing in next to Clara.

"And you two be careful!" Donna called after them.

"Wow," Clara said, looking at the huge school as they pulled up. "Wish I'd gone to a school like that. Rose and I went to a public school. It was horrible."

"UNITs been watching the Rattigan Academy for ages," Jenkins said. "It's all a bit Hitler Youth. Exercise at dawn and classes and special diets."

"Turn left," the ATMOS said.

"Ross, one question," the Doctor said. "If UNIT think that ATMOS dodgy-"

"How come we've got it in the Jeeps?" Ross asked.

"Yeah," the Doctor said.

"Ha, tell me about it," Ross said. "They're fitted as standard on all government vehicles. We can't get rid of them until we can prove there's something wrong."

"Turn right," the ATMOS said.

"Drives me around the bend," Ross said.

"Oh, nice one," the Doctor said, as Ross turned into the driveway.

"Timed that perfectly," Ross said, and Clara shook her head in amusement.

"Ha," the Doctor said. "Yeah. You did."

"This is your final destination," the ATMOS said.

"Amazing school," Clara said, looking around. The Doctor took her hand as they walked up the pavement.

"Is it P.E.?" the Doctor asked, as they walked up to Luke Rattigan. "I wouldn't mind a kick-around. Got my daps on."

"I suppose you're the Doctor," Luke said, turning.

"Hello," the Doctor said.

"Your commanding officer phoned ahead," Luke said.

"Oh, I haven't got a commanding officer," the Doctor said. "Have you? Oh, this is Ross and Clara. Say hello, Ross, Clara."

"Hi," Clara said, wiggling her fingers.

"Afternoon, sir," Ross said and the Doctor pulled Clara with him to the main doors.

"Let's have a look, then!" the Doctor said. "I can smell genius...in a good way."

"This is crazy," Clara said, as they entered the lab. As soon as the Doctor had entered the lab, he had wondered off, looking at everything.

"Oh, now...that's clever!" the Doctor said, then turned to Clara. "Look!"

"I can see, dear," Clara said, not as enthusiastic.

"Single-molecule fabric," he said, putting on his brainy specs. "How thin is that?! You could pack a tent in a thimble. Oh! Gravity simulators! Terraforming, biospheres, nano-tech steel construction! Ha-ha, this is brilliant! But y'know, with equipment like this, you could, oh, I dunno...move to another planet or something."

"If only that was possible," Luke said.

"If only that were possible," the Doctor said, taking off his brainy specs. "Conditional clause."

"I think you'd better come with me," Luke said, leading the Doctor and Clara to a different room. "You're smarter than the usual UNIT grunts, I'll give you that."

"He called you a grunt," the Doctor said to Ross, who followed them. "Don't call Ross a grunt, he's nice. We like Ross. Look at this place..."

"What exactly do you want?" Luke asked, aggravated.

"I was just thinking, what a responsible 18 year old," the Doctor said. "Inventing zero-carbon cars, saving the world..."

"It takes a man with vision," Luke said.

"Mm, blinkered vision," the Doctor said. "'Cause ATMOS means more people driving, more cars, more petrol, end result: the oil's gonna run out faster than ever. The ATMOS system could make things worse."

"Yeah, well, that's tautology," Luke said quickly. "You can't say ATMOS 'system' 'cause it stands for Atmospheric Emission System. So you're saying 'Atmospheric Emission System System. Do you see, Mr. Conditional Clause?"

"It's been a long time since anyone's said no to you, isn't it?" the Doctor asked.

Clara was feeling right about her initial instinct of Rattigan. He was giving her the creeps.

"I'm still right, though," Luke said.

"Not easy, is it, being clever?" the Doctor asked "You look at the world and you connect things—random things—and think, 'why can't anyone else see it? The rest of the world is so slow'."

"Yeah," Luke said.

"And you're on your own," the Doctor said.

"I know," Luke said.

"But not with this," the Doctor said, reaching into his pocket and pulled out an ATMOS device. "'Cause there's not way you invented this single-handed. It might be Earth technology, but that's like finding a mobile phone in the Middle Ages. No, no, I'll tell you what it's like! It's like finding this in someone's front room. Albeit, a very big front room."

"Why? What is it?" Ross asked, as the Doctor walked to a big machine in the room.

"Yeah, just looks like a thing, doesn't it?" the Doctor asked. "People don't question things. They just think, 'Oh, it's a thing'."

"Leave it alone!" Luke said.

"Me, I make these connections," the Doctor said, walking inside it, "and this to me looks like...a teleport pod."

A second later, he disappeared.

"Doctor!" Clara cried, running forward. "Where'd he go?"

She then turned on Rattigan.

"Where does that go to?" she demanded, glaring at him.

The Doctor appeared a second later, running out of the teleport.

"Ross, Clara, get out!" the Doctor shouted. "Luke, you'd better come with me!"

An alien appeared in the teleport and the Doctor used his sonic screwdriver on the teleport.

"Sontaran!" the Doctor said. "That's your name, isn't it? How did I know that, eh? Fascinating, isn't it? Isn't that worth keeping me alive?"

"I order you to surrender in the name of the Unified Intelligence Taskforce," Ross said, aiming his gun at the Sontaran.

"That's not gonna work," the Doctor said to Ross. "Cordalaine signal, am I right? Copper excitation stopping the bullets," he said to Clara and Ross.

"How do you know so much?" the Sontaran asked.

"Well..." the Doctor said, walking around the room.

"Who is he?" the Sontaran asked Luke.

"He didn't give his name," Luke said.

"He's brilliant," Clara said.

"This isn't typical Sontaran behaviour, is it?" the Doctor asked. "Hiding? Using teenagers? Stopping bullets? A Sontaran should face bullets with dignity! Shame on you!"

"You dishonour me!" the Sontaran said.

"Then show yourself," the Doctor said.

"I will look into my enemy's eyes," the Sontaran said, and then removed his helmet.

"Oh, my gosh," Ross said.

Clara nearly snorted at the sight of the Sontaran. It looked like a baked potato with a face on it.

"And your name?" the Doctor asked.

"General Staal of the Tenth Sontaran Battle Fleet. Staal the Undefeated," the Sontaran said.

"That's not a very good nickname," the Doctor said. "What if you do get defeated? 'Staal-the-Not-Quite-So-Undefeated-Anymore-But-Never-Mind'?"

"Looks like a potato, a baked a potato," Ross scoffed. "A talking baked potato."

"Now, Ross, don't be rude," the Doctor said. "You look like a pink weasel to him. The Sontarans are the finest soldiers in the galaxy. Dedicated to a life of warfare. A clone race grown in batches of millions with only one weakness-"

"Sontarans have no weakness!" Staal said.

"No, it's a good weakness," the Doctor said.

"Aren't you meant to be clever?" Luke asked. "Only an idiot would provoke him."

"But the Sontarans are fed by a probic vent in the back of the neck," the Doctor said. "That's their weak spot, which means they always have to face their enemy in battle. Isn't that brilliant? They can never turn their backs!"

"We stare into the face of death!" Staal said.

"Yeah? Well, stare at this!" the Doctor said, hitting a tennis ball that he had been bouncing. It bounced off a wall and hit the probic vent in the back of Staal's neck.

"Out! Out! Out!" the Doctor said, taking Clara's hand and pulling her out of the room. They were out of the school and into the Jeep in record time.

"Step on it," Clara said, as Ross drove them back to London.

"Greyhound Forty to Trap One," the Doctor said into the radio. "Repeat: can you hear me? Over."

"Why is it not working?" Ross asked.

"Must be the Sontarans," the Doctor said. "If they can trace that, they can isolate the ATMOS."

"Turn left," the ATMOS said.

"Try going right," the Doctor said.

"It says left," Ross said.

"I know," the Doctor said. "So go right."

"I've got no control," Ross said, taking his hand off the wheel. "It's driving itself. It won't stop. The doors are locked!"

Clara turned around to try the window behind their heads.

"This is locked, too!" she said, unable to open it.

"Argh!" the Doctor exclaimed, after trying his sonic on the doors. "It's deadlocked! I can't stop it!"

Clara pulled out the sonic pen that she had gotten from Miss Foster and tried using it on the doors.

"This won't work, either!" she said.

"Turn left," the ATMOS said and the Jeep suddenly swerved left.

"The sat-nav's just a box, wired through the whole car," the Doctor said.

Clara flung into the Doctor as the Jeep swerved off the road.

"We're heading for the river!" Ross exclaimed.

"ATMOS, are you programmed to contradict my orders?" the Doctor asked.

"Confirmed," the ATMOS said.

"Anything I say, you'll ignore it?" the Doctor asked.

"Confirmed," the ATMOS said.

"Then drive into the river!" the Doctor said. "I order you to drive into the river! Do it! Drive into the river!"

"Ahh!" Clara started screaming as they still were driving straight at the river. The Jeep stopped last minute, right at the edge.

The Doctor grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the Jeep with him.

"Turn right," the ATMOS said. "Left. Left. Right."

"Get down!" the Doctor said, pulling Clara to the ground and shielding her.

"Left," the ATMOS said, becoming high-pitched. "Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right."

The panel suddenly sparked and smoked slightly.

"Oh, is that it?" the Doctor said, getting up off of Clara. He sounded surprised and disappointed.

"We're lucky that's it," Clara said, scoffing.

It was a long walk, but the Doctor, Clara, and Ross made it to Donna's, alive. The Doctor rang the doorbell and Donna answered.

"Hi, Donna," Clara said, in tired voice.

"You would not believe the day I'm having," Donna said.

"Betcha ours is worse," Clara said.

The Doctor went and started examining the little blue car that belonged to the Nobles'.

"I'll requisition us as vehicle," Ross said, as the Doctor examined the ATMOS on the Nobles' car.

"Anything without ATMOS," the Doctor said. "And don't point your gun at people."

"Is it him?" an older man asked, coming out of the house. Clara recognized his instantly. He was the old man that was selling the papers when they had transported down from the Titanic. "Is it him? Is it the Doctor? Ah, it's you!"

"Who?" the Doctor asked, coming out from the bonnet of the car. "Oh...it's you!"

"Hi, there!" Clara said to the old man.

"What, have you met before?" Donna asked.

"Yeah, Christmas Eve," the man said. "The two of them disappeared right in front of me."

"And you never said?!" Donna exclaimed.

"Well, you never asked," the man said, then said to the Doctor and Clara. "Wilf, sir, ma'am. Wilfred Mott. You must be one of them aliens."

"Not me," Clara said, putting her hands up.

"Well, yeah, but don't shout it out," the Doctor said, shaking Wilf's hand, as did Clara. "Nice to meet you properly, Wilf."

"Ah, an alien hand," Wilf said.

"Mine's just human," Clara said, smiling at Wilf, who smiled back.

"Donna, anything?" the Doctor asked. He had asked her to phone Martha.

"She's not answering," Donna said. "What's it, 'Sontiruns'?"

"Sontarans," the Doctor said. "But there's got to be more to it. They can't be just remote-controlling cars. That's not enough. Is anyone answering?"

"Hold on," Donna said. She finally got Martha on the phone and then handed it to the Doctor.

"Martha, tell Colonel Mace it's the Sontarans," the Doctor said. "They're in the file, Code Red Sontarans. But if they're inside the factory, tell him not to start shooting, UNIT will get massacred. I'll get back as soon as I can. You got that?"

The Doctor tossed the mobile back to Donna as soon as he hung up with Martha and took out his sonic and started using it on the car.

"You've tried sonicing it before," Donna said. "You didn't find anything."

"Yeah, but now I know it's Sontaran, I know what I'm looking for," the Doctor said.

"The thing is, Doctor, that Donna is my only grandchild," Wilf said. "You gotta promise me you're gonna take care of her."

"She takes care of me," the Doctor said.

"Oh us, really," Clara said.

"Oh, yeah, that's my Donna," Wilf said. "She was always bossing us around even when she was tiny. 'The Little General' we used to call her."

"Yeah, don't start," Donna said.

"And some of the boys she used to turn up with—a different one every week," Wilf said. "Yeah, who was that one with the nail varnish?"

"Matthew Richards," Donna said. "He lives in Kilburn now—with a man."

"Oh, really?" Clara asked, raising her eyebrows. Donna gave her a look that said to shut it.

"Whoa!" the Doctor exclaimed, as spikes came out of the ATMOS device. "It's a temporal pocket! I knew there was something else in there. It's hidden just a second out of sync with real time."

"But what's it hiding?" Donna asked.

Donna's mother, Sylvia, then walked up. They all had their heads under the bonnet of the car, examining what the Doctor had found.

"I dunno, men and their cars!" she said.

"I'm not a man," Clara muttered and the Doctor grinned at her.

"Sometimes I think if I was a car...Oh, it's you!" Sylvia said. "Doctor—what was it?"

"Yeah, that's me," the Doctor said, waving his hand at her without looking.

"Have you met him as well?" Wilf asked.

"Dad, it's the man and the woman from the wedding!" Sylvia said and Clara gave a slight wave. "When you were laid up with Spanish flu. I'm warning you, last time they turned up, it was a disaster!"

A gas started shooting out from the ATMOS device.

"Get back!" the Doctor said. He whipped out his sonic screwdriver and used it on the car. "That'll stop it," he said, as the car sparked and the gas stopped.

"I told you!" Sylvia exclaimed, annoying Clara greatly. "He's blown up the car! Who is he anyway? What sort of doctor blows up cars?"

"Oh, not now, Mum!" Donna said, before Clara could say anything.

"Oh, should I make an appointment?" Sylvia asked, stalking off.

"Maybe you should," Clara muttered, not liking the woman at all, despite the fact that she was Donna's mother.

"That wasn't just exhaust fumes," the Doctor said. "Some sort of gas. Artificial gas."

"And it's aliens, is it?" Wilf asked. "Aliens?"

"But if it's poisonous...then they've got poisonous gas in every car on Earth," Donna said.

"So, what are we gonna do?" Clara wondered. "We can't exactly stop all of them at once."

"It's not safe," Wilf said. "I'm gonna get it off the street."

He got into the car and the doors shut behind him and locked.

"No, don't!" Donna said.

The car started and a thick exhaust came out of the tailpipe. It reminded Clara of the motorway on New Earth.

"Turn it off!" Donna said, and Wilf shook his head. "Granddad, get out of there!"

Clara tried to open the side door, but it was locked. She even got out her sonic pen, but that didn't help.

"I can't! It's locked!" Wilf said, banging on the window. "It's the aliens again!"

"What's he doing? What's he done?" Sylvia shouted from the front door.

"I've isolated it!" the Doctor said.

"There's gas inside the car!" Donna said. "He's gonna choke! Doctor!"

The Doctor still had out his sonic and tried using it.

"It won't open!" the Doctor said.

"Mine won't either!" Clara said.

Down the street, car alarms started going off and all the cars were emitting gas.

"It's the whole world," the Doctor said.

"Help me!" Wilf said weakly.

Clara tried everything she could to get the car open. She even went as far as kicking the door, doing nothing but hurting herself.

"Doctor!" Donna shouted out, as he was in the middle of the road, looking at all the cars around them.

Clara still had out her sonic pen, doing whatever was possible, but nothing was working. Inside the car, Wilf slumped forward.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	47. The Poison Sky

**The Poison Sky**

"Doctor!" Clara cried out.

"He's gonna choke!" Donna cried. "Doctor!"

"It won't open!" the Doctor said, sounding helpless.

Clara suddenly shrieked and dodged out of the way as Sylvia came rushing towards her with an axe. She then used the axe to smash open the windshield.

"Well, don't just stand there!" Sylvia said. "Get him out!"

"Thanks," Wilf said, emerging out of the car and breathing deeply.

"I can't believe you've got an axe!" Donna said.

"Burglars!" Sylvia said.

"Get inside the house," the Doctor said. "Just try and close off the doors and windows."

Ross finally arrived in a black cab.

"Doctor! Clara! This is all I could find that hasn't got ATMOS," Ross said.

Clara followed the Doctor to the cab and the Doctor shouted at Donna.

"Donna, you coming?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah," Donna said.

"Donna! Don't go! Look what happens every time that Doctor appears! Stay with us, please," Sylvia said.

"Oh, shut it!" Clara shouted back at her, finally having it.

"You go my darling!" Wilf shouted.

"Dad!" Sylvia exclaimed.

"Don't listen to her!" Wilf said. "You go with the Doctor and Clara! That's my girl!"

Donna ran to the cab and got in.

"Bye!" Wilf shouted.

The taxi pulled up to the ATMOS factory and the Doctor, Donna, and Clara all got out.

"Ross, look after yourself, get inside the building," the Doctor said.

"Will do," Ross said.

"The air is disgusting!" Donna said.

"It's not so bad for me, go on, get inside the TARDIS," the Doctor told Donna and Clara. "Oh, never give you a key!" he said to Donna, pulling out a key. "Keep that! Go on, that's yours! Quite a big moment, really!"

"Yeah, maybe we can get sentimental after the world's finished choking to death!" Donna said.

"Good idea!" the Doctor said.

"Where are you going?" Donna asked.

"Stop a war!" the Doctor said.

Without him knowing it, Clara followed after him, knowing he needed someone to keep him from doing something stupid.

"What are you doing?" he asked her, as she caught up to him.

"I'm not going to leave you alone, mister," she said. "You know what happens when you're alone."

"Fine," he said, grinning at her.

"Right, then, here I am, good," the Doctor said, entering the factory with Clara. "Whatever you do, Colonel Mace, do not engage the Sontaran in battle, there is nothing they like better than a war. Just leave this to me."

"And what are you going to do?" Colonel Mace asked.

"I've got the TARDIS, I'm gonna get on board their ship," the Doctor said.

"You mean we," Clara said.

"Come on!" the Doctor said to Martha, who was in the room.

The three of them ran back to where the Doctor had left the TARDIS to find it gone.

"But...where's the TARDIS?" Martha asked.

"Taste that, in the air," the Doctor said. "Yecch. That sort of metal tang. Teleport exchange. It's the Sontarans, they've taken it. I'm stuck, on Earth, like...like an ordinary person. Like a human! How rubbish is that?"

Clara said, "Oi!" and hit him.

"Sorry, no offence, but come on!" the Doctor said.

"So, what do we do?" Martha asked.

"Well...I mean it's shielded, they could never detect it," the Doctor said, staring at Martha.

Clara was getting a bad vibe with Martha, which she had never gotten before.

"What?" Martha asked.

"I'm just wondering, have you phoned your family and Tom?" the Doctor asked.

"No, what for?" Martha asked.

Clara knew right then that something was wrong. The Martha she knew would have called her family straight away, despite what anyone else said to her.

"The gas," the Doctor said. "Tell them to stay inside."

"'Course I will, yeah, but what about Donna?" Martha asked. "I mean, where's she?"

"Oh, she's gone home," the Doctor said. "She's not like you, she's not a soldier. Right. So, avanti!"

As soon as Martha had turned away, the Doctor had put his finger to his lips and Clara nodded that she knew.

The entered the UNIT base again and the Doctor said, "Change of plan!"

"Good to have you fighting alongside us, Doctor," Colonel Mace said.

"I'm not fighting, I'm not-fighting, as in not hyphen fighting, got it?" the Doctor asked. "Now, does anyone know what this gas is yet?"

"We're working on it," Martha said.

"It's harmful, but not lethal until it reaches 80 percent density," a UNIT Captain said. "We're having the first reports of deaths from the centre of Tokyo City."

"And who are you?" the Doctor asked.

"Captain Marion Price, sir," Captain Price said, saluting.

"Oh, put your hand down," the Doctor said. "Don't salute."

"Maybe you should just announce it over the loudspeaker," Clara said.

"Jodrell Bank's traced a signal, Doctor, coming from 5000 miles above Earth," Colonel Mace said. "We're guessing that's what triggered the cars."

"The Sontaran ship," the Doctor said.

"NATO has gone to Defcon One, we're preparing a strike," Colonel Mace said.

"You can't do that, nuclear missiles won't even scratch the surface," the Doctor said. "Let me talk to the Sontarans."

"You're not authorized to speak on behalf of the Earth," Colonel Mace said.

"I've got that authority, I earned that a long time ago," the Doctor said and Clara nodded.

The Doctor used his sonic screwdriver to connect to the Sontaran ship.

"Calling the Sontaran Ship under Jurisdiction Two of the Intergalactic Rules of Engagement," he said. "This is the Doctor."

"Doctor, breathing your last?" General Staal asked on the screen in front of them.

"My gosh, they're like trolls," Colonel Mace said.

"Yeah, loving the diplomacy, thanks," the Doctor said to Colonel Mace, then turned to the Sontarans. "So, tell me, General Staal, since when did you lot become cowards?"

"How dare you!" General Staal said.

"Oh, that's diplomacy?" Colonel Mace said.

"Doctor, you impugn my honour!" General Staal said.

"Yeah, I'm really glad you didn't say belittle, 'cos then I'd have a field day," the Doctor said, and Clara snorted. The Doctor turned and winked at her before turning back. "But poison gas? That's the weapon of a coward and you know it. Staal, you could blast this planet out of the sky, and yet you're sitting up above, watching it die. Where's the fight in that? Where's the honour? Or, are you lot planning something else? 'Cos this isn't normal Sontaran warfare. What are you lot up to?"

"A general would be unwise to reveal his strategy to the opposing forces," General Staal said.

"Aaah, the war's not going so well, then? Losing, are we?" the Doctor asked.

"Such a suggestion is impossible," General Staal said.

"What war?" Colonel Mace asked.

"The war between the Sontarans and the Rutans," the Doctor said. "It's been raging, far out in the stars for 50,000 years. 50,000 years of bloodshed, and for what?"

"For victory," General Staal said. "Sontar-ha!"

"Sontar-ha! Sontar-ha! Sontar-ha!" all the Sontarans said.

"Give me a break," the Doctor said, rolling his eyes. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and changed the channel to a cartoon.

"Doctor, I would seriously recommend that this dialogue is handled by official Earth representation," Colonel Mace said.

"But they were annoying," Clara said.

The Doctor nodded and soniced the channel back to the Sontaran ship.

"Finished?" the Doctor asked.

"You will not be so quick to ridicule when you'll see our prize," General Staal said. "Behold!"

He gestured to the TARDIS behind him.

"We are the first Sontarans in history to capture a TARDIS!" General Staal boasted.

"Well," the Doctor said. "As prizes go, that's..._noble_," the Doctor said. "As they say in Latin, _Donna_ nobis pacem. Did you never wonder about its design? It's a phone box. It contains a phone. A telephonic device for communication. Sort of symbolic. Like if only we could communicate. You and I."

If that wasn't a solid hint, Clara didn't know what was.

"All you have communicated is your distress, Doctor," General Staal said.

"Big mistake, though," the Doctor said. "Showing it to me. 'Cos I've got remote control."

"Cease transmission!" General Staal said and the screen went black.

"Oh, well," the Doctor said, getting up.

"That's achieved nothing," Colonel Mace said.

"Oh, you'd be surprised," the Doctor said.

"It'll get us help," Clara said.

The Doctor went over and snatched a clipboard from Martha.

"There's carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides but 10 percent unidentified," Martha said. "Some sort of artificial heavy element we can't trace. You ever seen anything like it?"

"Must be something the Sontarans invented," the Doctor said. "This isn't just poison, they need this gas for something else. What could that be?"

"Launch grid online and active," Captain Price said.

"Positions ladies and gentlemen, Defcon One initiatives in progress," Colonel Mace said.

"What?!" the Doctor exclaimed. "I told you not to launch!"

"The gas is at 60 percent density, 80 percent and people start dying, Doctor," Colonel Mace said. "We've got no choice."

"Launching in 60, 59, 58, 57, 56...worldwide nuclear grid now coordinating," Captain Price said. "54, 53..."

"You're making a mistake, Colonel!" the Doctor said. "For once, I hope the Sontarans are ahead of you."

"North America, online," Captain Price said. "United Kingdom, online. France, online. India, online. Pakistan, online. Chine, online. North Korea, online. All systems locked and coordinated. Launching in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0."

The screen in the front of the room then went black.

"What is it?" Colonel Mace asked. "What happened? Did we launch? Well, did we?"

"Negative, sir," Captain Price said and Clara gave a sigh of relief. "The launch codes have been wiped, sir. It must be the Sontarans."

"Can we override it?" Colonel Mace asked.

"Trying it now, sir," Captain Price said.

"Missiles wouldn't even dent that ship, so why are the Sontarans so keen to stop you?" the Doctor asked, looking at Martha. "Any ideas?"

"How should I know?" Martha asked.

Clara gave the Doctor a worried look.

"Enemy within!" Ross shouted over the radio. "At arms! Greyhound 40 declaring absolute emergency. Sontarans within factory grounds, east corridor grid six."

"Absolute emergency, declaring Code Red," Colonel Mace said over the radio. "All troops, Code Red!"

"Get them out of there!" the Doctor shouted.

"All troops, open fire!" Colonel Mace said, over the radio.

"The guns aren't working," Ross said. "Inform all troops, standard weapons do not work. Tell the Doctor it's that Cordolaine signal. He's the only one who can stop them."

A moment later, there was static over the radio.

"Greyhound 40, report," Colonel Mace said. "Over. Greyhound 40, report. Greyhound 40 report!"

"He wasn't Greyhound 40, his name was Ross," the Doctor said. "Now, listen to me and GET THEM OUT OF THERE!"

"Trap One to all stations," Colonel Mace said. "Retreat. Order imperative, immediate retreat!"

A few minutes later, the news came over the radio.

"They've taken the factory," Colonel Mace said.

"Why?" the Doctor asked. "They don't need it. Why attack now? What are they up to? Times like this, I could do with the Brigadier. No offence."

"None taken," Colonel Mace said. "Sir Alistair's a fine man, if not the best. Unfortunately, he's stranded in Peru."

"Launch grid back online," Captain Price said. A second later, the screen went black again. "They're inside the system, sir. It's coming from within UNIT itself."

"Trace it," Colonel Mace said. "Find out where it's coming from, and quickly. Gas levels?"

"66 percent in major population areas. And rising," Captain Price said.

"Why are they defending the factory only after we were inside?" Colonel Mace wondered.

"Because they wanted UNIT here," the Doctor said. "You gave them something they needed. Something now hidden inside the factory. Something precious."

"But what?" Clara wondered.

"Then we've got to recover it," Colonel Mace said. "This Cordolaine signal thing, how does it work?"

"The bullets," the Doctor said. "It causes expansion of the copper shell."

"Excellent, I'm on it," Colonel Mace said.

"For the billionth time, you can't fight Sontarans!" the Doctor said.

"Why won't you people just listen to him," Clara said, following the Doctor out the door.

"Phone," the Doctor asked the nearest officer. "Have you got a phone? I need your mobile, quickly, hurry up!"

The Doctor and Clara went back into Colonel Mace's office after he was handed a mobile. Clara leaned in closely to hear the call.

"What's happened, where are you?" Donna asked.

"Still on Earth," the Doctor said. "But don't worry, I've got my secret weapon."

"What's that?" Donna asked.

"You," the Doctor said.

"Oh," Donna said. "Somehow that's not making me happy. Can't you just zap us down to Earth with that remote thing?"

"Can't," Clara said into the phone.

"Yeah, I haven't got a remote, though I really should," the Doctor said. "But I need you on that ship. That's why I made them move the TARDIS. I'm sorry, but you've got to go outside."

"But there's Sonterruns out there," Donna said.

"Sontarans," the Doctor corrected, "but they'll all be on battle stations right now. They don't walk around having coffee. I can talk you through it."

"But what if they find me?" Donna asked.

"Use your Donna charm on them," Clara said.

The Doctor gave her a look that said not helping, then told Donna, "I know and I wouldn't ask, but there's nothing else I can do. The whole planet is choking, Donna."

"What d'you need me to do?" Donna asked.

"The Sontarans are inside the factory, which means they've got a teleport link with the ship, but they'll have deadlocked it," the Doctor said. "I need you to reopen the link."

"But, I can't even mend a fuse," Donna said.

"Donna!" the Doctor said. "Stop talking about yourself like that. You can do this. I promise."

"You're brilliant," Clara said.

"There's a Sonterrun...Sontaran," Donna said.

"Did he see you?" the Doctor asked.

"No, he's got his back to me," Donna said.

"That's good," Clara said.

"Right, Donna, listen, on the back of his neck on his collar, there's a sort of plug, like a hole," the Doctor said. "The Probic Vent. One blow to the Probic Vent knocks 'em out."

"But he's gonna kill me," Donna said.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said. "I swear I'm so sorry. But you've got to try."

It took a minute, but then Donna came back and said, "Back of the neck!"

"Good job," Clara said.

"Now, then, you gotta find the external junction feed to the teleport," the Doctor said.

"What...what's it look like?" Donna asked.

"A circular panel on the wall," the Doctor said. "Big symbol on the front, like a, like a letter 'T' with a horizontal line through it. Or, or two 'F's' back to back."

"Well, there's a door," Donna said.

"Should be a switch by the side," the Doctor said.

"Yeah, there is," Donna said. "But it's Sontaran-shaped, you need three fingers."

"You've got three fingers," the Doctor said, as Clara held in laughter.

"Oh, yeah!" Donna said. "I'm through."

"Oh, you are brilliant, you are," the Doctor said, kissing the phone. Clara gave him an odd look.

"Shut up," Donna said. "Right. 'T' with a line through it."

"Got to go," the Doctor said, as Colonel Mace reappeared outside the office. "Keep the line open!"

"Counter-attack!" Colonel Mace said, as the Doctor and Clara emerged from the office.

"I said you don't stand a chance!" the Doctor said.

"Positions," Colonel Mace said. "That means everyone!"

He tossed the Doctor and Clara each a gas mask.

"You're not going without me!" Martha said, coming up to them.

"Wouldn't dream of it," the Doctor said.

UNIT gathered everyone outside of the factory. They were all wearing gas masks, which Clara thought looked kinda funny. Clara was barely able to get her own mas over her hair, but finally managed. She giggled at the sight of the Doctor's hair sticking up all over the place in between the straps of the mask.

"Latest firing stock, what do you think, Doctor?" Colonel Mace asked, showing him a gun.

"Are you my mummy?" the Doctor asked and Clara snorted, bursting out in laughter, which was quite difficult with the mask on.

"If you both could concentrate," Colonel Mace said. "Bullets with a rad-steel coating, no copper surface. Should overcome the Cordolaine signal."

"But the Sontarans have got lasers!" the Doctor said. "You can't even see in this fog, the night-vision doesn't work."

"Thank you, Doctor, thank you for your lack of faith," Colonel Mace said. "But this time, I'm not listening."

"When have you listened?" Clara burst out, stepping forward, before the Doctor held her back.

Colonel Mace ignored her and pulled off his mask.

"Attention all troops!" he said. "Sontarans might think of us as primitive. As does every passing species with an axe to grind. They make a mockery of our weapons, our soldiers, our ideals. But no more! From this point on, it stops. From this point on, the people of Earth fight back and we show them! We show the warriors of Sontar what the human race can do! Trap One to Hawk Major! Go, go, go!"

Clara looked upwards, as did everyone else, as she heard a loud sound. The fog started to clear the she saw the Valiant above them. She shivered at seeing it, bad memories coming back.

"It's working!" Colonel Mace said. "The area's clearing. Engines to maximum!"

"It's the Valiant!" the Doctor said. Clara took his hand, slightly hiding behind him. The Doctor squeezed her hand, looking at her in concern, knowing what the sight of the ship was doing to her.

"UNIT Carrier Ship Valiant reporting for duty, Doctor!" Colonel Mace said. "With engines strong enough to clear away the fog."

Clara took off her mask, taking a breath of fresh air that the Valiant provided.

"Whoa, that's brilliant!" the Doctor said.

"Yeah," Clara said, not as enthusiastic about it.

"Getting a taste for it, Doctor?" Colonel Mace asked.

"No, not at all," the Doctor said. "Not me."

"Valiant, fire at will!" Colonel Mace ordered.

A bunch of green beams united as the Valiant fired at the ATMOS factory. It reminded Clara of the Sycorax ship. At the same time, the UNIT soldiers rushed into the factory to attack it.

"East and north secure," Colonel Mace said. "Doctor? Clara?"

The Doctor pulled out the mobile and said, "Donna, hold on. We're coming."

"Shouldn't we follow the Colonel?" Martha asked, coming up to them, as Mace ran off with the soldiers.

"Nah, you, Clara, and me, Martha Jones," the Doctor said. "Just like old times!"

The Doctor pulled out his sonic to find the way to whatever the Sontarans had.

"Alien technology, this way!" the Doctor said. Clara and Martha followed him to the basement, where the signal was coming from.

"No Sontarans down here," the Doctor said. "They can't resist a battle. Here we go."

They went through a plastic wall, where they found a sort of lab. Martha Jones was in some sort of a sleep, restrained.

"Oh, my gosh!" Clara said, running to Martha, as did the Doctor.

"Ooh, Martha, I'm so sorry," the Doctor said, checking her pulse. "Still alive."

Clara tapped the Doctor on his shoulder as the other Martha pulled a gun on them.

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" the Doctor asked, hardly paying attention.

"Wish you carried a gun now?" the other Martha asked.

"Not at all," the Doctor said.

"I've been stopping the nuclear launch all this time," the Martha said.

"Doing exactly what I wanted," the Doctor said. "I needed to stop the missiles, just as much as the Sontarans. I'm not having Earth start an interstellar war. You're a triple agent!"

"When did you know?" the other Martha asked.

"What, you?" the Doctor asked. "Oh, right from the start. Reduced iris contraction, slight thinning of the hair follicles on the left temple. And, frankly, you smell. You might as well have worn a T-shirt saying 'clone.' Although, maybe not in front of Captain Jack. You remember him, don't you? 'Cos you've got all her memories. That's why the Sontarans had to protect her, to keep you inside UNIT. Martha Jones is keeping you alive."

"Plus, you hadn't contacted your family," Clara said. "That would have been the first thing the REAL Martha Jones would have done."

The Doctor pulled off the device around Martha's head and she awoke with a scream. One the other hand, the clone fell to the ground in agony. The Doctor kicked away the gun that the clone had dropped, then hugged Martha.

"It's all right," the Doctor said. "It's all right, I'm here, I'm here. And so is Clara. I've got you, got you."

"There was this thing, Doctor, this alien, with his head..." Martha started, then the mobile that the Doctor had rang.

"Oh, blimey, I'm busy," the Doctor said, then passed the phone to Clara. "Ask her if she got it."

"Did you get it?" Clara asked.

"Yes, now hurry up!" Donna said, and Clara pulled the phone from her ear slightly.

"Yep, she got it," Clara said, grimacing.

"Tell her to take off the covering," the Doctor said. "All the blue switches inside, flick them up like a fusebox. And that should get the teleport working."

Clara repeated everything exactly to Donna.

"Oh, my gosh," Martha said, spotting the clone. "That's me."

"Here, pass me the phone," the Doctor said. Clara gave it back to him and he went to work on the teleport in the room. Clara went over, seeing if there was anything that she could do to help him. Martha crouching down beside her clone, talking to her.

"The gas!" the Doctor shouted. "Tell us about the gas."

"He's the enemy!" the Martha clone said.

"Then tell me," the real Martha said. "It's not just poison, what's it for? Martha, please!"

"This is as bit weird," Clara said.

"Casofine concentrate," the Martha clone said. "It's one part of Bosteen, two parts Probic 5."

"Clonefeed!" the Doctor suddenly burst out, startling Clara. "It's clonefeed!"

"What's clonefeed?" Martha asked.

"Like amniotic fluid for Sontarans," the Doctor said. "That's why they're not invading, they're converting the atmosphere. Changing the planet into a clone world. Earth becomes a great big hatchery. 'Cos the Sontarans are clones, that's how they reproduce. Give 'em a planet this big, they'll create billions of new soldiers. That gas isn't poison, it's food!"

"So, how do we stop them?" Clara asked. "Do you have a plan?"

"Oh, you know how I work," the Doctor said.

"I do," Clara sighed. "Make things up as you go along."

"Oh, yes," the Doctor said, grinning at her.

"Doctor," came Donna's voice from the phone. The Doctor picked up the phone. "Blue switches done. But they've found me!"

"Now!" the Doctor shouted, using his sonic on the teleport. Donna appeared suddenly and ran to hug the Doctor and then Clara.

"Have I ever told you how much I hate you?" Donna asked.

"Hold on, hold on," the Doctor said, as Clara struggled to get air after Donna had hugged her. "Gotta bring the TARDIS down."

Again, he soniced the teleport and the TARDIS appeared.

"Good to see her again," Clara smiled.

"Right, now, Martha, you coming?" the Doctor asked.

"What about this nuclear launch thing?" Martha asked.

"Just keep pressing 'N', we want to keep those missiles on the ground," the Doctor said.

"But there's...two of them," Donna said, spotting the clone.

"Yeah, long story," the Doctor said, taking Clara's hand and leading her into the teleport. Donna and Martha followed. "Here we go. The old team, back together! Well, the new team."

"We're not going back on that ship!" Donna said.

"No, no, no," the Doctor said. "No, I needed to get the teleport working so that we could get to..."

It felt a little odd, to Clara, to teleport. Like a bit of a tickling sensation.

"...here!" the Doctor finished as they appeared at the Rattigan Academy. "The Rattigan Academy, owned by..."

Luke was standing there, pointing a gun at them.

"Don't tell anyone what I did!" Luke said. "It wasn't my fault, the Sontarans lied to me, they..."

The Doctor grabbed the gun from him and threw it away.

"If I see one more gun..." he said.

"You know, that coat, sort of works," Donna said to Martha, who was wearing the Doctor's coat over the hospital gown she had on.

"Feel like a kid in my dad's clothes," Martha said.

"Oh, well, if you're calling him dad, you're definitely getting over him," Donna said.

"Tom must be doing you good," Clara said.

"He really is," Martha said, smiling.

The Doctor ran around the lab, grabbing random parts and pieces and started assembling something.

"That's why the Sontarans had to stop the missiles, they were holding back," the Doctor told Clara, Martha, and Donna. "Because caesofine gas is volatile, that's why they had to use you, to stop the nuclear attack. Ground-to-air engagement could've sparked off the whole thing."

"What, like set fire to the atmosphere?" Martha asked.

"Yeah," the Doctor said. "They need all the gas intact to breed their clone army. And all the time we had Luke here in his dream factory. Planning a little trip, were we?"

"They promised me a new world," Luke said.

"You were building equipment, ready to terraform El Mondo Luko so that humans could live there and breathe the air with this! An atmospheric converter," the Doctor said.

Martha, Clara, and Donna followed the Doctor outside, as he was going to use the atmospheric converter.

"That's London," Donna said. "You can't even see it. My family's in there."

"If I can get this on the right setting..." the Doctor said.

"Doctor, hold on, you said the atmosphere would ignite," Martha said.

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?" the Doctor said.

Clara flinched as the Doctor pressed a button and a flame shot up into the sky and it ignited.

"Please, please, please..." the Doctor started chanting.

The flame covered the sky completely and then blew over, blue sky showing again.

"He's a genius!" Luke said.

"He's _the_ genius," Clara grinned at the man she loved.

"Just brilliant," Martha said.

"Now we're in trouble!" the Doctor said, picking up the converter and ran back into the Academy. He ran to the teleporter and got inside with the converter.

"Right, so..." he said. "Donna, thank you. For everything. Martha, you too. Oh...so many times. Luke, do something clever with your life. Clara, I love you. Remember that."

"What-?" Clara asked.

"You're saying goodbye," Donna said.

"Sontarans are never defeated," the Doctor said. "They'll be getting ready for war. And, well, you know, I've recalibrated this for Sontaran air, so..."

"You're gonna ignite them," Martha said.

"You'll kill yourself," Donna said.

Clara was just standing there, shocked.

"Just send that thing up, on it's own," Martha said. "I don't know...put it on a delay."

"I can't," the Doctor said.

"Why not?" Donna asked.

"I've got to give them a choice," the Doctor said and then he teleported.

"I have to say goodbye, too," Clara said, jerking to life again. "He's not leaving without me. I've got no life here now. Thanks for everything. You were both very good friends."

Before Donna and Martha could stop her, Clara ran to the teleport machine and pressed the button, teleporting to the Sontaran ship.

"Okay, so that worked," Clara said, looking around.

"I'll do it, Staal," the Doctor was saying. "If it saves the Earth, I'll do it."

"A warrior doesn't talk, he acts!" Staal said. "Grab the woman."

"Woman?" the Doctor asked, then turned around to see Clara. "What are you doing here?!"

"I'm not letting you go off by yourself, Doctor," Clara said. "You're not leaving me on my own. I've got no life left on that planet. So, if you die, I'm staying with you to the end."

"Enough talk!" Staal shouted.

The Sontarans stayed back, as the Doctor threatened them with the converter and pulled her behind him with a sad look on his face.

"I am giving you the chance to leave," the Doctor said.

"And miss the glory of this moment?" Staal asked.

Clara held onto the Doctor's arm, slightly scared, but ready to die with the Doctor.

"All weapons targeting Earth, sir," a Sontaran said over the loudspeaker. "Firing in 20."

"I'm warning you!" the Doctor said.

"And I salute you!" Staal said. "Take aim!"

"He doesn't like to be saluted," Clara said, as the Doctor pulled her behind him, away from the guns.

"Shoot us, I'm still gonna press this!" the Doctor said. "You'll die, Staal."

"Knowing that you will both die, too," Staal said.

"Firing in 15," the loudspeaker said.

"For the glory of Sontar!" Staal said. "Sontar-ha! Sontar-ha! Sontar-ha!"

All the Sontarans started repeating this chant, over and over.

"I'll do it!" the Doctor said.

"Then do it!" Staal said.

All of a sudden, the Doctor and Clara landed on the floor of the teleport at the Academy.

"What happened?" Clara wondered, dazed and very confused. The Doctor sat her up, as he got up, and they sat on the edge of the teleport. Martha joined them, sitting by the Doctor, as the he put his arm around Clara. Donna walked up to them and hit both the Doctor and Clara, then touched both their arms, relieved they were all right.

Clara was happy to be back on the TARDIS, sitting on the pilot seat with the Doctor. She knew she was in trouble with him, but didn't want to think about it for now.

Martha, now in proper clothes, was leaning against the console, smiling at the sight of them. Clara was leaning her head on the Doctor's shoulder, and he had his arm around her. Donna entered the TARDIS, after visiting her mum and Wilf.

"How were they?" Martha asked. The Doctor jumped up, nearly making Clara fall over, and went to the console.

"Oh, same old stuff," Donna said, wiping a tear away. "They're fine. So! You gonna come with us? We're not exactly short of space."

"Oh, I have missed all this, but, you know," Martha said. "I'm good here. Back at home. And I'm better for having been away. Besides, someone needs me. Never mind the universe, I've got a great big world of my own now!"

"Good for you, Martha," Clara said, as Martha walked to the doors. Suddenly, the door slammed shut and the TARDIS started shaking. Clara grabbed onto the back of the pilot seat, trying not to be flung to the floor.

"What? What?!" the Doctor shouted.

"Doctor, don't you dare!" Martha said.

"No, no, no!" the Doctor said. "I didn't touch anything! We're in flight, it's not me!"

"Where are we going?" Donna asked.

"I don't know, it's out of control!" the Doctor said.

"Doctor, just listen to me! You take me home, take me home right now!" Martha shouted, as they all hung on, not knowing where the TARDIS was taking them.


	48. The Doctor's Daughter

**The Doctor's Daughter**

Clara was clinging to the pilot seat, trying not to be flung to the floor as the TARDIS still shook violently. The Doctor was trying to regain control of the TARDIS and there were sparks everywhere and Donna and Martha were both screaming.

"Make it stop!" Clara said, holding on for dear life.

"What the hell's it doing?" Donna asked.

"Controls aren't working!" the Doctor insisted, trying to take control. The console sparked again and the Doctor fell to the floor, right in front of Clara, and his hand that was in a jar.

"I don't know where we're going, but my old hand's very excited about it!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"I thought that was just some freaky alien thing!" Donna said. "You telling me it's yours?"

"Well..." the Doctor said.

"It got cut off," Martha said. "He grew a new one!"

"You are completely...impossible!" Donna said.

"Not impossible, just...a bit unlikely!" the Doctor said.

The TARDIS gave one more explosion and shake. Donna and Martha fell backwards, and the Doctor fell into the chair, nearly falling on Clara. As soon as the TARDIS had stopped moving, the Doctor immediately jumped up, taking Clara's hand and ran to the door, followed by Martha and Donna. They seemed to be in a sort of underground tunnel that had junk and debris all around.

"Why would the TARDIS bring us here?" the Doctor wondered.

"Oh, I love this bit," Martha said.

"Thought you wanted to go home," Donna said.

"I know, but all the same..." Martha said. "It's that feeling you get..."

The Doctor had let go of Clara's hand and was now licking his own. Clara wrinkled her nose at the sight of it.

"Like you swallowed a hamster?" Donna asked and Clara gave her a weird look.

They suddenly heard footsteps running towards them and a bunch of soldier arrived, aiming their guns at them.

"Don't move, stay where you are!" a soldier shouted. "Drop your weapons."

Clara threw her hands up into the air, and turned in a circle to show that she didn't have any weapons.

"We're not armed!" the Doctor said. "Look, no weapons. Never any weapons. We're safe."

"Look at their hands," a soldier said. "They're clean."

"Alright, process them!" the first soldier said. "Him first."

The other two soldiers moved towards the Doctor and grabbed him. They dragged him to a machine.

"Oi, oi!" the Doctor shouted. "What's wrong with clean hands!?"

Clara tried to move forward, but the first soldier aimed his gun at her, keeping her back.

"What's going on?" Martha asked.

"Leave him alone!" Donna shouted.

The Doctor's hand was forced into the machine and he cried out in pain.

"Doctor!" Clara yelled in worry.

"Something tells me this isn't about to check my blood pressure AAGGGHH!" the Doctor said, then yelled.

"What're you doing to him?" Donna asked.

"Don't touch him!" Clara said, wanting to run forward.

"Everyone gets processed," the main soldier said.

"It's taken a tissue sample," the Doctor said. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! And extrapolated it! Some kind of accelerator?"

The machine let the Doctor go and he backed up. Clara went forward and gently took his hand, looking at it. Donna and Martha also ran forward, but the Doctor wasn't paying attention to them, or his hand. He was looking at another machine that was smoking as it opened.

"What on Earth?" the Doctor said, making Clara look at the machine. "That's just..."

A blonde woman stepped out of the machine, smoke billowing everywhere around her.

"What-?" Clara wondered, as she, the Doctor, Donna, and Martha were all looking at her.

"Arm yourself!" the soldier said, handing her a gun, which she took like it was natural.

"Where did she come from?" Martha asked.

"From me," the Doctor said.

"From you!?" Donna exclaimed. "How? Who is she?"

"Well...she's...well...she's my daughter!" the Doctor said.

"Hello, dad!" the woman said, still holding the gun.

"This is crazy," Clara said, gaping like a fish, as the woman joined the soldiers.

"You primed to take orders, ready to fight?" the soldier asked.

"Instant mental download of all strategic and military protocols, sir," the woman said. "Generation 5000 soldier primed and ready and in peak physical health. Oh, I'm ready."

"Did you say daughter?" Donna asked.

"Mm. Technically," the Doctor said.

"Technically how?" Martha asked.

"Progenation," the Doctor said. "Reproduction from a single organism. Means one parent is biological mother and father. You take a sample of diploid cells, split them into haploids, then recombine them in a different arrangement, and grow. Very quickly, apparently."

"So, that sorta makes you a mother," Donna said, smirking at Clara.

"What? No!" she said, looking startled. "I didn't give a blood sample!"

Donna just smirked at her.

"Something's coming!" the woman shouted. Suddenly, there were shots being fired everywhere.

"It's the Hath!" the soldier shouted, and the human soldiers started shooting back.

"Get down!" the woman said.

"We have to blow the tunnel! Get the detonator!" the soldier shouted.

"I'm not detonating anything!" the Doctor said.

From right beside Clara, Martha was grabbed by one of the aliens called the Hath. The woman kicked one of the Hath and picked up the detonator.

"Blow that thing, blow the thing!" the soldier said.

"Martha! No! Don't!" the Doctor shouted.

"Martha!" Clara shouted, moving forward, but the Doctor grabbed her and yanked her to the ground as the woman pressed the button and the tunnel exploded. The Doctor lifted his head and then helped Clara up. They saw that the tunnel was collapsed, sealing them in on their side. Martha was nowhere in view, so Clara knew that she was on the other side, or maybe even dead. But Clara didn't want to think that.

"You've sealed off the tunnel," the Doctor said. "Why did you do that?!"

"They were trying to kill us!" the woman said.

"But they've got my friend!" the Doctor said.

"Collateral damage," the woman said. "At least you've still got them, he lost both him men. I'd say you came out ahead."

"Her name's Martha, and she's not collateral damage, not for anyone! Have you got that, GI Jane?!" Donna burst out.

"I'm gonna find her," the Doctor said.

"You're going nowhere," the soldier said, pointing his gun at them. "You don't make sense, you three. No guns, no marks, no fight in you...I'm taking you to General Cobb. Now, move."

"Why is there always guns?" Clara grumbled.

"I'm Donna, what's your name?" Donna asked the woman as they were marched down the tunnels.

"Don't know, it's not been assigned," the woman said.

"Well, if you don't know that, what do you know?" Donna asked.

"How to fight," the woman said.

"Nothing else?" Donna asked.

"The machine must embed military history and tactics but no name," the Doctor said. "She's a generated anomaly."

"Generated anomaly?" Donna said. "Jenny-rated. Well, what about that? Jenny!"

"Jenny," the woman said. "Yeah, I like that, Jenny."

"What do you think, 'Dad'?" Donna asked.

"Good as anything, I suppose," the Doctor said.

"'Mum'?" Donna asked, looking at Clara.

"Um, I'm actually gonna stay out of this one," Clara said, looking uncertain.

"Not what you'd call natural parents, are you?" Donna asked, looking between Clara and the Doctor.

"They stole a tissue sample at gunpoint and processed it, it's not what I call natural parentage," the Doctor said.

"And I had nothing to do with it," Clara said.

"Rubbish!" Donna said. "My friend Nerys fathered twins with a turkey baster, don't bother her."

"You can't extrapolate a relationship from a biological accident," the Doctor said.

"Er, Child Support Agency can," Donna said.

"Look, just 'cos I share a certain physiological traits with simian primates doesn't make me a monkey's uncle, does it?" the Doctor said.

"I'm not a monkey! Or a child," Jenny said.

"So, where are we?" the Doctor asked. "What planet's this?"

They had entered a large room that had soldiers all over it.

"Messaline," the soldier said. "Well, what's left of it."

"...663-75 deceased. Generation 6671—Extinct. Generation 6672-46 deceased. Generation 6680-14 deceased. Generation..." a tannoy said.

"But this is a theatre!" Donna said.

"Maybe they're doing Miss Saigon," the Doctor said.

"It's like a town, or a city, underground," Donna said. "But why?"

"Maybe the surface can't sustain life anymore," Clara guessed.

An older soldier walked up to the Doctor, Clara, and Donna.

"General Cobb, I presume?" the Doctor asked.

"Found in the Wester tunnels, I'm told, with no marks," General Cobb said. "There was an outbreak of pacifism in the Eastern Zone, three generations back, before we lost contact, is that where you came from?"

"Eastern Zone, that's us, yeah," the Doctor said. "Yeah. I'm the Doctor, this is Donna, and this is Clara."

"And I'm Jenny."

"Don't think you can infect us with your peacemaking," General Cobb said. "We're committed to the fight, to the very end."

"Well, that's all right, I can't stay anyway," the Doctor said. "I've gotta go and find my friend."

"That's not possible, all movement is regulated," General Cobb said. "We're at war."

"Yes, I noticed," the Doctor said. "With the Hath. But tell me, 'cos we got a bit out of circulation, Eastern Zone and all that, so, who exactly are the Hath?"

"Back at the dawn of this planet, these ancient halls were carved from the Earth," General Cobb said. "Our ancestors dreamt of a new beginning, a colony where human and Hath could work and live together."

"So, what happened?" the Doctor asked.

"The dream died," General Cobb said. "Broken, along with Hath promises. They wanted it all for themselves. But those early pioneers, they fought back. They used the machines to produce soldiers instead of colonists, and began this battle for survival."

"There's nothing but earth outside, why's that?" the Doctor asked. "Why build everything underground?"

"The surface is too dangerous," the main soldier said.

"Well, then, why build windows in the first place?" Donna asked. "And what does this mean?"

She pointed at a number on the wall.

"The rites and symbols of our ancestors," General Cobb said. "The meanings...lost in time."

"How long's this war gone on for?" the Doctor asked.

"Longer than anyone can remember," General Cobb said. "Countless generations marked only by the dead."

"What, fighting all this time?" Donna asked.

"That's a bit rubbish," Clara said.

"Because we must," Jenny said, answering Donna. "Every child of the machine is born with this knowledge. It's our inheritance, it's all we know. How to fight. And how to die."

"That's definitely rubbish," Clara said. "That's not a life or even living."

"We're not made to live," Jenny said. "We're made to fight and die. That's it."

General Cobb took them to a large 3D map of the underground tunnels.

"Does this show the entire city, including the Hath zones?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes, why?" General Cobb asked.

"Well, it'll help us find Martha," the Doctor said.

"We've more important things to do," the soldier said. "The Progenation Machines are powered down for the night shift, but soon as they're active, we could breed a whole platoon from you three."

"I'm not having sons and daughters by some great big flippin' machine!" Donna said, then looked at Jenny. "Sorry, no offence but you're not...well, I mean, you're not real."

"You're no better than him!" Jenny said. "I have a body, I have a mind, I have independent thought, how am I not real? What makes you better than me?"

"Well said, soldier," General Cobb said. "We need more like you if ever we're to find the Source."

"Ooh, the Source, what's that then, what's a Source? I like a Source, what is it?" the Doctor asked.

"The Breath of Life," General Cobb said.

"And that would be...?" the Doctor asked.

"In the beginning, the great one breathed life into the universe," Cline the soldier said. "And then she looked at what she'd done, and she sighed."

"She? I like that," Jenny said.

"So do I," Clara said. "Not many important females out there. Besides Donna that is."

"Oh, stop it," Donna said, smiling.

"Right, so it's a creation myth," the Doctor said.

"It's not myth," General Cobb said. "It's real. That sigh. From the beginning of time, it was caught and kept as the Source. It was lost when the war started. But it's here, somewhere. Whoever holds the Source controls the destiny of the planet."

"Ah! I thought so!" the Doctor said. "There's a suppressed layer of information in this map, if I can just..."

He soniced the map and more tunnels appeared on it.

"What is it, what's it mean?" Donna asked.\

"See? A whole complex of tunnels, hidden from sight," the Doctor said.

"That must be the lost temple," General Cobb said. "The Source will be inside. You've shown us the way! And look, we're closer than the Hath! It's ours!"

"What did you just give them?" Clara quietly asked the Doctor.

"Tell them to prepare to move out," General Cobb said. "We'll progenate new soldiers on the morning shift, then we march. Once we reach the Temple, peace will be restored at long last."

"Um, call me old-fashioned, but if you really wanted peace, couldn't you just stop fighting?" the Doctor asked.

"Only when we have the Source," General Cobb said. "It'll give us the power to erase every stinking Hath from the face of this planet!"

"Hang on, hang on, a second ago it was peace in our time, now you're talking about genocide?!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"For us, that means the same thing," General Cobb said.

"Then you need to get yourself a better dictionary," the Doctor said. "When you do, look up genocide. You'll see a little picture of me there and the caption will read 'Over my dead body'!"

"And you're the one who showed us the path to victory," General Cobb said. "But you can consider the irony from your prison cell. Cline, at arms!"

The soldier, Cline, pointed his gun at the Doctor, Clara, and Donna.

"Oi, oi, oi! All right!" Donna said. "Cool the bean, Rambo!"

"And point that thing somewhere else!" Clara said, furious.

"Take them, I won't have them spreading treason," General Cobb said. "And if you try anything, Doctor, I'll see that your woman dies first."

He indicated to Donna.

"No, we're, we're not a couple," the Doctor said.

"I am not his woman!" Donna said. "She is!"

She pointed at Clara.

"Oh, thanks, Donna," Clara said. "Throw me under the bus so I get killed first."

"Come on," Cline said. "This way."

"I'm going to stop you, Cobb, you need to know that," the Doctor said.

"I have an army and the breath of god on my side, Doctor, what'll you have?" General Cobb asked.

"This," the Doctor said, pointing to his head.

"Lock them up and guard them," General Cobb said.

"What about the new soldier?" Cline asked.

Jenny stepped forward, but General Cobb pushed her away, into the Doctor's arms.

"Can't trust her," Cobb said, "she's from pacifist stock. Take them all!"

They were all locked in a cell, roughly pushed in.

"More numbers," Donna said. "They've gotta mean something."

"Makes as much sense as the breath of life story," the Doctor said.

"You mean that's not true?" Jenny asked.

"No, it's a myth," Donna said. "Isn't it, Doctor?"

"Yes, but there could still be something real in that temple, something that's become a myth," the Doctor said. "A piece of technology, a weapon."

"So the Source could be a weapon and we've just given directions to Captain Nutjob?" Donna asked.

"Oh, yes," the Doctor said.

"Nice going, genius," Clara said, rolling her eyes.

"Not good, is it?" Donna asked.

"That's why we need to get out of here, find Martha, and stop Cobb from slaughtering the Hath," the Doctor said, after giving Clara a look.

"What, what are you, what are you...what are you staring at?" the Doctor asked, well, stuttered, really.

"You keep insisting you're not a soldier," Jenny said. "But look at you! Drawing up strategies like a proper general."

"No, no, I'm trying to stop the fighting," the Doctor said.

"Isn't every soldier?" Jenny asked.

"Well," the Doctor said. "I suppose. But that's...that's...technically...I haven't got time for this! Donna, give me your phone! Time for an upgrade!"

The Doctor took the phone from Donna and soniced it for her.

"And now you've got a weapon!" Jenny said.

"It's not a weapon," the Doctor said.

"But you're using it to fight back!" Jenny said, laughing. "I'm gonna learn so much from you, you are such a soldier."

"Donna, will you tell her?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, you are speechless, I'm loving this!" Donna said. "You keep on, Jenny!"

"Clara?" the Doctor asked.

"Nope!" Clara said. "I'm not getting in the middle."

The Doctor dialed and got Martha on the phone.

"Martha! You're alive!" he exclaimed.

Clara sighed and turned to Jenny.

"So, basically, the Doctor is a peacemaking man," she said to her. "He doesn't carry weapons, never used a gun, never fights. He helps save worlds, not fight in wars."

"So, you two are together, so does that make you my mum?" Jenny asked.

"Um, no, not really," Clara said, turning slightly red. "You came from his blood and his alone."

"Oh, shut it, Clara!" Donna said. "You are totally her mum!"

"Alright, whatever!" Clara said, throwing her hands in the air. "I give up."

They could tell when morning came when the soldiers outside started cheering.

"They're getting ready to move out," the Doctor said, as they heard the cheering. "We have to get past that guard."

"I can deal with him," Jenny said.

"No, no, no, no," the Doctor said. "You're not going anywhere."

"What?" Jenny asked.

"You belong here, with them," the Doctor said.

"She belongs with us," Donna said. "With you two. She's your daughter!"

Clara just sighed, not arguing. It was really weird, especially since Jenny looked the same age as her.

"She's a soldier," the Doctor said. "She came out of the machine!"

"Oh, yes, I know that bit!" Donna said. "Listen, have you got that stethoscope? Give it to me. Come on!"

The Doctor pulled it out of his jacket pocket and handed it to her.

"What're you doing?" Jenny asked.

"It's all right," Donna said. "Just hold still."

Donna placed the stethoscope to Jenny's chest, first on the left, then on the right. The then handed it back to the Doctor.

"Come here," Donna said. "Listen. And then tell me where she belongs."

The Doctor used the stethoscope and listed to heartbeats on both sides of her chest.

"Two hearts," the Doctor said, stepping back and staring at Jenny.

"Exactly," Donna said.

"What's going on?" Jenny asked, confused.

Clara was just as confused.

"Does that mean she's a...? What do you call a female Time Lord?" Donna asked.

"Time Lady," Clara answered immediately.

"What's a Time Lord?" Jenny asked.

"It's who I am," the Doctor said. "It's where I'm from."

"And I'm from you," Jenny said.

"You're an echo, that's all," the Doctor said. "A Time Lord is so much more. A sum of knowledge. A code. A shared history. A shared suffering. Only it's gone now. All of it. Gone forever."

"What happened?" Jenny asked.

"There was a war," the Doctor said.

"Like this one?" Jenny asked and the Doctor laughed.

"Bigger," he said. "Much bigger."

"And you fought? And killed?" Jenny asked.

"Yes," the Doctor said darkly. Clara put a hand on his shoulder and he put his hand over her's and squeezed it.

"Then how are we different?" Jenny asked.

Clara sat with the Doctor, wishing she could take some of his pain away.

"I can get us out of here," Jenny said.

"Absolutely not," the Doctor said.

"Without violence," Jenny said.

"What d'you say we give her a shot, Doctor?" Donna asked.

"Can't hurt," Clara said.

"Fine, but you listen to me," the Doctor said.

"Yes, sir," Jenny said, mock saluting and Clara giggled.

The Doctor, Donna, and Clara all hid from sight as Jenny approached the bars.

"Hey," she said to Cline.

"I'm not supposed to talk to you, I'm on duty," Cline said.

"I know," Jenny said. "Guarding me. So, does that mean I'm dangerous? Or that I need protecting?" she flirted.

"Protecting from what?" Cline asked.

"Oh, I don't know," Jenny said. "Men like you?"

She pulled him closer to the bars and kissed him, while pulling his gun from him and aiming it at him. At this, the Doctor inhaled. Not loudly, but just enough for Clara to hear.

"Keep quiet and open the door," Jenny said.

"I'd like to see you try that!" Donna said to the Doctor.

"I wouldn't!" Clara said, horrified at the thought.

Downstairs, Clara nearly walked out in sight of another guard, but the Doctor pulled her back.

"That's the way out," the Doctor said.

Jenny cocked the gun she still had, but the Doctor stopped her.

"Don't you dare!" he said.

Donna slid between the Doctor and Jenny and said, "Let me distract this one. I have picked up a few womanly wiles over the years."

Clara snorted and put her hands over her mouth and made it sound like she had sneezed as Donna glared at her.

"Let's...save your wiles for later," the Doctor said. "In case of emergency."

He pulled a wind-up mouse out of his pocket and used it to distract the guard. When the guard was turned around, Jenny stepped up behind him and knocked him out.

"I was gonna distract him, not clobber him!" the Doctor said.

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" Jenny asked.

"They must all have a copy of that new map," the Doctor said. "Just stay there, don't hurt anyone."

The Doctor pulled a map off of the guard and looked at it as they walked on.

"Wait!" he said. "This is it. The hidden tunnel. There must be a control panel."

He soniced the wall beside the locked door.

"It's another one of those numbers," Donna said. "They're everywhere."

"The original builders must've left them," the Doctor said. "Some old cataloging system."

"You got a pen? Bit of paper?" Donna asked, and Clara pulled out a pen that she had found in her jacket pocket and handed it to her. "'Cos, d'you see, the numbers are counting down. This one ends in 14, the prison cell said 16."

"Maybe it just numbers the sections, so they knew what section someone was talking about?" Clara offered.

"Always thinking, all of you," Jenny said. "Who are you people?"

"I told you, I'm the Doctor," he said.

"The Doctor? That's it?" Jenny asked.

"That's all he ever says," Donna said.

"So, you don't have a name either?" Jenny asked. "Are you an anomaly, too?"

"No," the Doctor said.

"Oh, come off it!" Donna said. "You're the most anomalous bloke I've ever met!"

"Here it is!" the Doctor said, not answering and taking the cover off the control panel.

"And Time Lords, what are they for exactly?" Jenny asked.

"'For?' They're not...they're not 'for' anything," the Doctor said.

"Then what do you do?" Jenny asked.

"I travel," the Doctor said. "Through time and space."

"He saves planets, rescues civilization, defeats terrible creatures," Donna said. "And runs a lot. Seriously, there's an outrageous amount of running involved."

"Definitely a lot of running," Clara said. "That's why I'm in such good shape. Just from the running alone."

"Got it!" the Doctor said, as the door slid open.

"Squad 5, with me!" came Cobb's voice from a distance.

"Now, what were you two saying about running?" the Doctor asked.

They ran into the room, but were stopped by red laser beams criss-crossing the tunnel ahead of them, blocking their way.

"That's not mood lighting, is it?" Donna asked.

"Don't think so," Clara said.

The Doctor pulled the mouse out of his pocket and threw it at the beams. It burst into sparks and exploded as soon as it touched the first beam.

"No, I didn't think so," Donna said.

"Arming device," the Doctor said, as he started to fiddle with the controls to the beams.

"There's more of these," Donna said, spotting more numbers. "Always eight numbers, counting down, the closer we get..."

"They've got to mean something," Clara said, her curiosity aroused.

"Here we go!" the Doctor said.

"You better be quick!" Donna said.

"The General!" Jenny said, as they heard voices of soldiers heading towards them. She turned to run towards the soldiers, but the Doctor stopped her.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I can hold them up," Jenny said.

"No, we don't need any more dead," the Doctor said.

"But it's them or us," Jenny said.

"It doesn't mean you have to kill them!" the Doctor said.

"I'm trying to save your life!" Jenny said.

"Listen to me, the killing, after a while, it infects you," the Doctor said. "And once it does, you're never rid of it."

"We don't have a choice," Jenny said.

"We always have a choice," the Doctor said.

"I'm sorry," Jenny said, running off.

"Jenny!" the Doctor said, shouting after her.

"She'll be fine," Clara said. "We need these beams gone before they catch us."

"I told you," the Doctor said. "Nothing but a soldier."

Donna and Clara were both worried, after hearing the shots fired.

"She's trying to help," Donna said.

"It's the only way she knows how to help, Doctor," Clara said.

"Jenny! Come on!" the Doctor shouted.

"I'm coming!" they heard Jenny yell.

The Doctor finally got the laser off.

"That's it!" Donna said.

"Jenny! Leave it! Let's go!" the Doctor shouted.

Clara ran through the corridor with the Doctor and Donna. They were at the end of the hall when Jenny appeared.

"Jenny! Come on! That's it!" the Doctor said.

"Hurry up!" Donna said.

But just as Jenny reached the corridor, the beams appeared again.

"No, no, no, no!" the Doctor exclaimed. "The circuit's looped back!"

"Zap it back again!" Donna said.

"The controls are back there!" the Doctor said.

"They're coming!" Jenny yelled to them.

"Wait!" the Doctor said. "J—Just...! There isn't...! Jenny, I can't!"

The Doctor sounded helpless.

"I'll have to manage on my own," Jenny said. "Watch and learn, Father, Mother!"

Clara was ready to argue that she wasn't Jenny's mother, but then was lost for words. Jenny took a few steps back and then ran at the beams and did a series of somersaults safely through the beams.

"No way!" Donna said. "But that was impossible!"

"Not impossible," the Doctor said. "Just a bit unlikely!"

He hugged Jenny and then Jenny hugged Clara, who was astonished and oddly very proud of the blonde woman.

"Brilliant! You were brilliant! Brilliant!" the Doctor said.

"I didn't kill him," Jenny said. "General Cobb, I could have killed him, but I didn't. You were right. I had a choice."

"Good for you," Clara smiled.

The soldiers appeared at the end of the hall and Donna, Jenny, and Clara all ran ahead.

"So, you travel together, but you're not...'together'?" Jenny asked Donna and Clara snorted.

"What? No, no! No way! No, no. We're friends," Donna said. "That's all. I mean, we're not even the same species, there's probably laws against it. Not that that stops Clara."

"Oi!" Clara said, as Jenny laughed.

"And what's it like, the traveling?" Jenny asked.

"Ah, never a dull moment," Donna said.

"Ever," Clara added.

"Can be terrifying, brilliant, and funny—sometimes all at the same time. I've seen some amazing things though," Donna said. "Whole new worlds."

"Oh, I'd love to see new worlds," Jenny said.

"You will," Donna said. "Won't she, Doctor?"

"Hmm?" the Doctor asked, walking silently behind them.

"D'you think Jenny will see any new worlds?" Donna asked.

"I suppose so," the Doctor said with a small smile.

"You mean...you mean, you'll take me with you?" Jenny asked.

"We can't leave you here, can we?" the Doctor asked.

"What about you?" Jenny asked Clara. "Are you all right with this?"

"Oh, I think so," Clara teased. "I'd love to have you with us."

"Oh, thank you, Mother!" Jenny said, hugging Clara, then went to the Doctor.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she said, hugging him as well. "Come on! Let's get a move on!"

"Careful, there might be traps!" the Doctor said, as Jenny ran ahead.

"Kids!" Donna said. "They never listen."

Clara still wasn't sure how she felt about Jenny. She wasn't her daughter, but Jenny and Donna seemed to think she was, just because she was romantically involved with the Doctor.

"Oh, I know that look," Donna said to the Doctor. "See it a lot round our way. Blokes with pushchairs and frowns. You've got dad-shock."

"Dad-shock?" the Doctor asked.

"Sudden, unexpected fatherhood," Donna said. "Take a bit of getting used to."

"No, it's not that," the Doctor said.

"Well, what is it, then?" Donna asked. "Having Jenny in the TARDIS, is that it? What's she gonna do, cramp your style? Like you've got a sports car and she's gonna turn it into a people-carrier?"

"Donna, I've been a father before," the Doctor said.

This was a shock to Clara. She had known that he had had a family back on Gallifrey, but not children.

"What?" Donna asked, sounding just as shocked as Clara felt.

"I lost all that a long time ago," the Doctor said. "Along with everything else."

"I'm sorry," Donna said, as Clara took the Doctor's hand. "I didn't know. Why didn't you tell me? You talk all the time, but you don't say anything."

"I know," the Doctor said, squeezing Clara's hand. "I'm just...When I look at her now, I can see them. The hole they left, all the pain that filled it. I just don't know if I can face that every day."

"It won't say like that," Donna said. "She'll help you. We all will."

"Absolutely," Clara said, hugging the Doctor's arm.

"But when they died, that part of me died with them," the Doctor said. "It'll never come back. Not now."

Clara felt sad inside. That meant if, and a very big if, they ever had children, the Doctor would still feel the same way as he did with Jenny.

"I'll tell you something, Doctor," Donna said. "Something I've never told you before. I think you're wrong."

Donna had seen Clara's face fall when the Doctor had said that and felt sorry for the woman that was so in love with the Doctor, but he still had issues.

They heard shooting from the guards and Jenny came running back to them.

"They've blasted through the beams, time to run again," Jenny said, grinning. "Love the running! Yeah?"

"Love the running," the Doctor said. Clara and Donna followed after them as they took off. What Clara wanted more than anything, was to reach the TARDIS and curl up in bed for a week, she was feeling that low.

Donna put a hand on Clara's shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. Clara gave her a small one in return, then they had to stop, as the Doctor had when they reached a dead end.

"We're trapped," Donna said.

"Now that we have a firm grasp of the obvious," Clara said, trying to seem normal.

"Can't be," the Doctor said. "This must be the temple. This is a door."

"And again," Donna said, spotting more numbers. "We're down to 12 now..."

"I've got it!" the Doctor said.

"I can hear them!" Jenny said.

"Nearly done," the Doctor said.

"These can't be a cataloging system, or even room numbers," Donna said.

"They're getting closer!" Jenny said.

"Then get back here!" the Doctor said.

"They're too similar," Donna said. "Too familiar."

"Not yet," Jenny said to the Doctor.

"Now! Got it!" the Doctor said, as the door opened.

The entered the 'temple,' which looked like a bunch of stairs and catwalks.

"They're coming! Close the door!" Jenny said.

The Doctor fiddled with the panel and the door slid closed.

"Oh, that was close!" Jenny said.

"No fun otherwise!" the Doctor said.

"It's not what I'd call a temple..." Donna said.

"It looks like nothing but stairs and catwalks," Clara mentioned.

"It looks more like..." Jenny said.

"Fusion-drive transport," the Doctor said. "It's a spaceship!"

"What, the original one?" Donna asked. "The one the first colonists arrived in?"

"Well, it could be, but the power cells would have run down after all that time," the Doctor said. "This one's still powered-up and functioning. Come on!"

As they ran, they noticed that someone was cutting through a separate door.

"It's the Hath!" Jenny said. "That door's not gonna last much longer. And if General Cobb gets through down there, war's gonna break out."

"Look, look, look, look, look!" the Doctor said, going to a monitor. "Ship's log! 'First wave of Human/Hath co-colonization of planet Messaline'."

"So, it is the original ship," Jenny said.

"How has it still got power?" Clara wondered.

"What happened?" Donna asked.

"'Phase one, construction'," the Doctor read. "They used robot drones to build the city."

"But does it mention the war?" Donna asked.

The Doctor scrolled further down and read, "Final entry...'Mission commander dead. Still no agreement on who should assume leadership. Hath and humans have divided into factions.' That must be it! A power vacuum. The crew divided into two factions and turned on each other. Start using the progenation machines and suddenly you've got two armies fighting a never-ending war!"

"Two armies who are now both outside," Jenny said.

"And closing in," Clara said.

"Look at that," Donna said, looking at the screen. There were numbers on it, just like the ones they had been finding.

"It's like the numbers in the tunnels," the Doctor said.

"No, no, no,no, but listen...I spent six months working as a temp in Hounslow Library, and I mastered the Dewey Decimal System in two days flat," Donna said. "I'm good with numbers! It's staring us in the face!"

"What is?" Jenny asked.

"It's the date!" Donna said. "Assuming the first two numbers are some big old space date, then you've got year, month, day. It's the other way round, like it is in America!"

"Ohhhh!" the Doctor said. "It's the New Byzantine Calendar!"

"The codes are completion dates for each section. They finish it, they stamp the date on!" Donna said. So, the numbers aren't counting down, they're going out, from here, day by day, as the city got built."

"Yes! Oh, good work, Donna!" the Doctor said.

"See, you are brilliant!" Clara said.

"Yeah!" Donna said. "But you're, you're both still not getting it. The first number I saw back there, was 6012-07-17. Well, look at the date today!"

"07-24," the Doctor said. "No!"

"What does it mean?" Jenny asked.

"No, way!" Clara said, getting it, then clamped her mouth shut. She sounded way too much like Donna there.

"Seven days," the Doctor said.

"That's it! Seven days!" Donna said.

"Just seven days?!" the Doctor said.

"What d'you mean, seven days?" Jenny asked.

"Seven days since war broke out," the Doctor said.

"This war started seven days ago!" Donna said. "Just a week! A week!"

"They said years!" Jenny said.

"No," Donna said. "They said generations. And if they're all like you, and they're products of those machines..."

"They could have 20 generations in a day!" the Doctor said. "Each generation gets killed in the war, passes on the legend! Ohhh! Donna, you're a genius!"

"That's a lot of soldiers," Clara said, stunned.

"But all the buildings, the encampments, they're in ruins," Jenny said.

"No, they're not ruined, they're just empty!" the Doctor said. "Waiting to be populated! Oh, they're mythologized their entire history! The Source must be part of that, too. Come on!"

They started running again and turned a corner and ran right into Martha.

"Doctor! Clara!" Martha said.

"Martha!" the Doctor said, as they hugged. Martha then hugged Clara. "I should've know you wouldn't stay away from the excitement!"

"Donna!" Martha said, then hugged Donna.

"Ooh, you're filthy, what happened?!" Donna asked.

"I, erm, took the surface route," Martha said.

"Yeah, I noticed, but I wasn't gonna say anything," Clara said. They then heard the voices of soldiers getting close.

"That's the general!" the Doctor said. "We haven't got much time."

"We don't even know what we're looking for!" Donna said.

"We'll know it when we see it," Clara said.

"Is it me, or can you smell flowers?" Martha asked.

"Yes!" the Doctor said. "Bougainvillea! I say we follow our noses!"

"Blocks 7 to10, advance! With me!" Cobb's voice came from a distance.

"Wow," Clara said, as they entered a huge greenhouse inside the spaceship. "This is amazing!"

"Oh, yes! Yes! Isn't this brilliant?" the Doctor asked.

In the middle of the greenhouse, there was a small pedestal that held a glass sphere, containing a shining green-yellow gas.

"Is that the Source?" Donna asked.

"It's beautiful," Jenny said.

"What is it?" Martha said.

"Some sort of gas," Clara said.

"Terraforming!" the Doctor said suddenly. "It's a third generation terraforming device!"

"So why are we suddenly in Kew Gardens?" Donna asked.

"Because that's what it does," the Doctor said. "All this, only bigger. Much bigger! It's in a transit state. Producing all this must help keep it stable before they finally..."

They were surrounded as the Hath and human soldiers appeared from opposite sides of the greenhouse, pointing their guns at each other.

"Stop!" the Doctor said. "Hold your fire!"

"What is this? Some kind of trap?" General Cobb asked.

"You said you wanted this war over," the Doctor said.

"I want this war won," General Cobb said.

"You can't win," the Doctor said. "No one can. You don't even know why you're here. Your whole history, it's just Chinese whispers. Getting more distorted the more it's passed on. This is the Source. This is what you're fighting over. A device to rejuvenate a planet's ecosystem. It's nothing mythical. It's from a laboratory, not some creator. It's a bubble of gases. A cocktail of stuff for accelerated evolution. Methane, hydrogen, ammonia, amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids. It's used to make barren planets habitable. Look around you! It's not for killing, it's bringing life. If you allow it, it can lift you out of these dark tunnels and into the bright, bright sunlight! No more fighting. No more killing."

He picked up the sphere from the pedestal.

"I'm the Doctor, and I declare this war is over!" the Doctor said, throwing the sphere on the ground, breaking it open. Both the Hath and human soldiers put their guns down to the ground.

"What's happening?" Jenny asked.

"The gases will escape and trigger the terraforming process," the Doctor said.

"It's beautiful," Clara said, watching the swirling green and yellow gases.

"What does that mean?" Jenny asked the Doctor.

"It means a new world," the Doctor said.

Clara noticed Cobb from the corner of her eyes and saw the gun pointed at the Doctor.

"Cobb!" she yelled, running at him. She was too late, though, and a shot was fired. She couldn't stop and tackled Cobb to the ground. She also punched him in the face for good measure.

"You jerk!" she screamed, before jumping up and running over to the Doctor. It turned out that he hadn't been shot, but Jenny had taken the shot for him.

"No," Clara said, crying.

"Jenny? Jenny! Talk to me, Jenny!" the Doctor said.

He had Jenny in his lap, while Martha checked her pulse and the wound.

"Is she gonna be all right?" Donna asked.

Clara saw Martha shake her head. Tears were leaking down her cheeks. She had grown very fond of the woman and even bonded to her in a way.

"A new world," Jenny whispered. "It's beautiful."

"Oh, Jenny," Clara said, stroking her hair back.

"Jenny? Be strong, now," the Doctor said. "You need to hold on. D'you hear me? We've got things to do, you, me, and Clara. Hey? Hey? We can go anywhere. Everywhere. You choose."

"That sounds good," Jenny said.

"Hey," Clara said to Jenny, still crying. "Guess what? I tackled and punched General Cobb for you."

Jenny gave a very weak chuckle.

"You're our daughter and we've only just got started," the Doctor said, taking Clara's hand and put theirs over Jenny's. "You're gonna be great. You're gonna be more than great. You're gonna be amazing! You hear me? Jenny?"

Clara started sobbing as Jenny closed her eyes and died. The Doctor kissed Jenny's forehead.

"Two hearts," the Doctor said. "Two hearts, she's like me. If we wait...If we just wait..."

"Yeah, maybe she will," Clara said hopefully.

"There's no sign, Doctor, Clara," Martha said. "There is no regeneration. She's like you, but...maybe not enough."

"No," the Doctor said. "Too much. That's the truth of it. She was too much like me."

He gently set Jenny on the ground and kissed her forehead one last time. Clara held onto Jenny's hand, still crying. The soldiers had General Cobb restrained, his lip bleeding from where Clara punched him.

The Doctor got up and walked over to General Cobb and picked up his gun. He stood there, pointing the gun at Cobb's head.

"Doctor!" Clara gasped, shocked.

The Doctor then lowered the gun and crouched next to Cobb.

"I never would," the Doctor said. "Have you got that? I never would!"

He then stood up and addressed both parties, Hath and human.

"When you start this new world," the Doctor said, "this world of Human and Hath...remember this! Make the foundation of this society. A man who never would!"

He threw the gun away and went and sat next to Clara, putting his arm around her waist.

The humans and Hath helped carry Jenny to the theatre room and laid her down on a table. Clara was still crying, but softly, as sunlight came threw the windows.

"It's happening," Martha said. "The terraforming."

"Build a city, nice and safe underground," Donna said. "Strip away the top soil. And there it is. And what about Jenny?"

"Let us give her a proper ceremony," Cline said. "I think it'd help us. Please."

Clara nodded slowly, thinking that would be best.

She slowly walked back to the TARDIS with the Doctor, Martha, and Donna, then sat in the pilot seat, knees drawn up to her chest.

"Jenny was the reason for the TARDIS bringing us here," the Doctor said. "It just got here too soon, which then created Jenny in the first place. Paradox. And endless paradox."

Donna and Martha were both sat beside Clara and Donna was rubbing her back.

"Time to go home?" the Doctor asked Martha.

"Yeah, home," Martha said.

The Doctor started pulling controls, but without his usual enthusiasm. Clara stayed in the TARDIS as Donna and Martha left it to walk down the road to Martha's house.

"Come on," the Doctor said quietly to Clara, helping her up. They stood outside of the TARDIS, holding on to each other, as Donna and Martha talked. They walked on, following after the two women, who hugged each other.

Clara stayed with Donna, while the Doctor and Martha walked on together.

"Will you be alright?" Donna asked Clara, worried about her.

"Yeah," Clara said. "I'll be fine. This isn't the first family I've lost."

"You mean Rose," Donna said.

"Yeah," Clara said sadly, wishing her cousin were here.

"But I thought you said Jenny wasn't your daughter?" Donna asked.

"I dunno, Donna," Clara said. "It was like a had this bond with Jenny. Something I can't quite explain."

"I think you had mom-shock," Donna said. "And still do."

"You're crazy, Donna," Clara said, giving a small laugh. "But brilliant."

The Doctor rejoined them at the TARDIS, where they set off.


	49. Silence in the Library

**Silence in the Library**

Stepping out of the TARDIS, Clara gasped. The Doctor thought that they all needed some cheering up, so he brought them to a planet that was a library. The whole planet was literally the library. Clara spun in a circle, amazed by the sight.

"Books!" the Doctor said. "People never really stop loving books."

"This is brilliant," Clara said, hugging the Doctor, as he exited the TARDIS behind her.

"51st century," the Doctor said. "By now, you're got holovids, direct to brain downloads, fiction mist, but you need the smell. The smell of books, Donna. Deep breath."

"It smells amazing," Clara said, inhaling the smell of musty books, that smell of paper and old leather. "Just one question, though; Where is everybody?"

They crossed the room and went through a door. Down a staircase, they saw the surface of the planet: a huge city what was filled with book shelves and books.

"The Library," the Doctor said. "So big, it doesn't need a name. Just a great, big 'the'."

"It's like a city," Donna said.

"It's a world," the Doctor said. "Literally, a world. The whole core of the planet is the index computer, biggest hard drive ever. And up here, every book ever written. Whole continents of Jeffrey Archer, Bridget Jones, Monty Python's Big Red Book. Brand new editions, specially printed. We're near the equator, so...this must be Biographies!" he said, after licking his finger and sticking it in the air. "I love biographies!"

"Yeah, very you," Donna said. "Always a death at the end."

"You need a good death," the Doctor said. "Without death, there'd only be comedies. Dying gives us size."

"Nothing wrong with comedy," Clara said.

Donna picked up a book but the Doctor snatched it from her.

"Oi! Spoilers!" the Doctor said.

"What?" Donna asked.

"These books are from your future," the Doctor said. "You don't wanna read ahead, spoil all the surprises. Like peeking at the end."

"Then what's the point of coming here, if we can't read the books?" Clara pouted, hands crossed over her chest.

"Yeah, and isn't traveling with you one big spoiler?" Donna asked.

"I...try to keep you two away from major plot developments," the Doctor said. "Which, to be honest, I seem to be very bad at, 'cos you know what? This is the biggest Library in the universe. So, to rephrase Clara's question, where is everyone? It's silent."

"The Library?" Donna asked, as the Doctor went to an information terminal and started to fiddle with it.

"The planet," the Doctor said. "The whole planet."

"Maybe it's a Sunday," Donna said.

"No, I never land on Sundays," the Doctor said. "Sundays are boring."

"Well...maybe everyone's really, really quiet," Donna said.

"Or maybe 'cos it's a library," Clara said.

"Yeah, maybe," the Doctor said. "But they'd still show up on the system."

"Doctor, why are we here? Really, why?" Donna asked.

"Oh, you know, just passing," the Doctor said.

"You're a bad liar, dear," Clara said.

"Seriously," Donna said. "It was all 'let's hit the beach' then suddenly we're in a Library. Why?"

"Now, that's interesting," the Doctor said.

"What?" Donna asked.

"Scanning for life forms," the Doctor said. "If I do a scan, looking for your basic humanoids—you know, your book readers, few limbs, and a face—apart from us, I get nothing. Zippo, nada, see? Nobody home. But if I widen the parameters to any kind of life...A million million. Gives up after that. A million million."

"But there's nothing here," Donna said. "There's no one."

"And not a sound," the Doctor said. "A million million life forms, and silence in the Library."

"But there's no one here," Donna said. "There's just books. I mean, it's not the books, is it? I mean, it can't be the books, can it? I mean, books can't be alive?"

The three of them looked at each other, then reached towards a book. Clara jumped as they heard a voice just before they touched the book.

"Welcome!" the voice said.

"That came from in there," Donna said.

"Yeah!" the Doctor said.

They went back into the reception and saw a sort of statue there with the face of a woman on it.

"I am Courtesy Node 710/aqua. Please enjoy the Library and respect the personal access codes of all your fellow readers regardless of species or hygiene taboo."

"That face, it looks real," Donna said.

"It's kinda creepy looking," Clara said.

"Yeah, don't worry about it," the Doctor said.

"But a statue with a real face, though!" Donna said. "It's a hologram or something, isn't it?"

"No, but really, it's...fine," the Doctor said.

"Additional," the Node said. "There follows a brief message from the head librarian for your urgent attention. It has been edited for tone and content by Felman Lux Automated Decency Filter. Message follows. 'Run. For goodness sake, run. No way is safe. The Library has sealed itself, we can't...Oh, they're here. Arg. Slarg. Snick.' Message ends. Please switch off your mobile comm units for the comfort of other readers."

"So, that's why we're here...any other messages, same date stamp?" the Doctor asked.

"One additional message," the Node said. "This messages carries a Felman Lux coherency warning of 5, 0, 11..."

"Yeah, yeah, fine, fine, fine, just play it," the Doctor said.

"Message follows," the Node said. 'Count the shadows. For goodness sakes, remember...if you want to live, count the shadows.' Message ends."

"Donna, Clara..." the Doctor said.

"Yeah?" Donna and Clara both asked.

"Stay out of the shadows," the Doctor said.

"Why, what's in the shadows?" Donna asked.

"Probably nothing good," Clara said.

The left the reception area and arrived to a hallway that was bookshelves as far as they could see.

"So...we weren't just in the neighbourhood," Donna said.

"Nope," Clara said.

"Yeah, I kind of, sort of lied a bit," the Doctor said. "I got a message on the psychic paper."

"Knew it," Clara said, as the Doctor showed them the psychic paper.

'_The Library. Come as soon as you can. X._'

"What do you think? Cry for help?" the Doctor asked.

"Cry for help—with a kiss?" Donna asked.

"Oh, we've all done that," the Doctor said.

"Who's it from?" Donna asked.

"No idea," the Doctor said.

"We'll probably find out," Clara said.

"So, why did we come here, why did you...?" Donna started.

"Donna!" the Doctor said.

"What is that?" Clara asked, as the lights started to go out at the far end of the corridor. "Why's it doing that?"

"What's happening?" Donna asked.

"Run!" the Doctor said, taking Clara's hand. They ran until they reached a door, which the Doctor tried to open, but couldn't.

"Come on!" the Doctor shouted. Clara even tried her sonic pen, but it seemed it also wouldn't work on wood.

"What, is it locked?" Donna asked.

"No, of course not," Clara said sarcastically.

"Jammed!" the Doctor said. "The wood's warped!"

"Sonic it, use the thingy!" Donna shouted.

"I can't, it's wood!" the Doctor said.

"What, it doesn't do wood?!" Donna said.

"Hang on, hang on, if I can vibrate the molecules, fry the bindings, I can shatterline the interface.." the Doctor said.

"Oh, get out of the way!" Donna said, kicking the door open. The three of them ran into the room, then shut the door and used a book to bolt it shut.

"Oh, hello!" the Doctor said, turning around. Clara spun around and saw a little wooden globe floating in the air. "Sorry to burst on you like this. Okay if we stop here for a bit?"

The sphere fell to the floor, not working.

"What is it?" Donna asked.

"Security camera," the Doctor said. "Switched itself off."

He picked it up and started to examine it. He pulled out his sonic and started to use it on the camera.

"Nice door skills, Donna," the Doctor said.

"Very cool," Clara commented.

"Yeah, well, you know, boyfriends...sometimes you need the element of surprise," Donna said. "What was that, what was after us? I mean, did we just run away from a power cut?"

"Possibly," the Doctor said.

"Better safe than sorry," Clara said.

"Are we safe here?" Donna asked.

"Course we're safe," the Doctor said. "There's a little shop."

Clara just rolled her eyes, remembering the hospital where they had met Martha.

"Gotcha!" the Doctor said, as the lens of the security camera opened.

_'No. Stop it. No, no,_' was displayed on the front of the camera.

"Ooh, I'm sorry," the Doctor said. "I really am, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. It's alive."

"You said it was a security camera," Donna said.

"It is," the Doctor said. "It's an alive one."

"How is that possible?" Clara said.

_'The Library is breached. Others are coming,_' appeared on the screen.

"Others? What's it mean, 'others'?" Donna asked. She went to a Node in the room and asked, "Excuse me, what does it mean, 'others'?"

"That's barely more than a speak your weight machine, it can't help you," the Doctor said.

"So why's it got a face?" Donna asked.

"This flesh aspect was donated by Mark Chambers on the occasion of his death," the Node said.

"It's a real face!?" Donna freaked out.

"It has been actualized individually for you from the many facial aspects saved to our extensive flesh banks," the Node said. "Please enjoy."

"Okay, that is _really_ creepy," Clara said.

"It chose me a dead face it thought I'd like?" Donna asked, shocked. "That statue's got a real person's face on it.."

"It's the 51st century, that's...basically like donating a park bench," the Doctor said.

"It's donating a face!" Donna exclaimed.

"No, wait, no!" the Doctor said, grabbing Donna as she backed away from the Node in horror. He had accidentally grabbed her round the waist to keep her from walking into a shadow behind her.

"Oi! Hands!" Donna said.

"The shadow, look," the Doctor said.

"What about it?" Donna asked.

"'Count the shadows'," he said, referring to the message.

"One," Donna said. "There, I counted it, one shadow."

"Yeah...but what's casting it?" the Doctor asked.

"But how is that possible?" Clara asked, as they looked around and couldn't find the source of the shadow.

"Oh!" the Doctor suddenly exclaimed, startling Clara. "Look at me, I'm old and thick! Head's too full of stuff, I need a bigger head!"

"Not really," Clara muttered to Donna, who grinned. They looked towards a corridor and it was dark, only one lamp blinking off and on.

"Power must be going," Donna said.

"This place runs on fission cells," the Doctor said. "They'll outburn the sun."

"The why is it dark?" Donna asked.

"It's not dark," the Doctor said.

"Then what is it?" Clara asked.

"That shadow," Donna said. "It's gone."

"We need to get back to the TARDIS," the Doctor said.

"Why?" Donna asked.

"Because that shadow hasn't gone," the Doctor said. "It's moved."

"Reminder: the Library has been breached, others are coming," the Node said. "Reminder: the Library has been breached, others are coming."

A door in the room burst open and six people in white suits entered the room. The one that led them in walked straight up to the Doctor and Clara and switched the darkened visor on. It was a woman and she smiled at the Doctor and Clara.

"Hello, sweeties," she said.

"Get out!" the Doctor said.

"Doctor," Donna said.

"All of you, turn around, get back in your rocket and fly away!" the Doctor said. "Tell your grandchildren you came to the Library and lived, they won't believe you."

"Pop your helmets, everyone," the woman said. "We've got breathers."

"How do you know they're not androids?" another woman with short, dark hair asked, as they all removed their helmets.

"'Cos I've dated androids," the first woman said, who had blonde curly hair. "They're rubbish."

"Who is this?" a man asked. "You said we were the only expedition, I paid for exclusives."

"I lied, I'm always lying," the blonde woman said. "Bound to be others."

"Miss Evangelista, I want to see the contracts," the man said.

"You came through the north door, yeah?" the blonde woman asked. "How was that, much damage?"

"Please, just leave," the Doctor said. "I'm asking you seriously and properly, just lea...Hang on. Did you say expedition?"

"My expedition, I funded it," the man said.

"Oh, you're not, are you?" the Doctor asked. "Tell me you're not archaeologists."

"Got a problem with archaeologists?" the blonde woman asked.

"I'm a time traveler," the Doctor said. "I point and laugh at archaeologists."

"Ah," she said. "Professor River Song, archaeologist."

"River Song, lovely name," the Doctor said. "As you're leaving, and you're leaving now...you need to set up a quarantine beacon. Code-wall the planet, the whole planet. Nobody comes here, not ever again...not one living thing, not here, not ever. Stop right there!" the Doctor said, as one of the people walked towards a shadow. "What's your name?"

"Anita," said the woman with the short, dark hair.

"Anita, stay out of the shadows," the Doctor said. "Not a foot, not a finger in the shadows till you're safely back in your ship. Goes for all of you. Stay in the light. Find a nice, bright spot and just stand. If you understand me, look very, very scared."

Everyone just looked at him. River was smiling, but the other looked blank.

"No, a bit more scared than that," the Doctor said.

The woman, Miss Evangelista, looked somewhat scared.

"Okay, do for now," the Doctor said, then turned to a man. "You, who are you?"

"Uh, Dave," the man said.

"Okay, Dave..." the Doctor said.

"Oh, well, Other Dave, because that's Proper Dave, the pilot. He was the first Dave, so when we-"

The Doctor pulled him to the door they had come through.

"Other Dave, the way you came, does it look the same as before?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah," Other Dave said. "Oh, it's a bit darker."

"How much darker?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, like I could see where we came through just a moment ago," Other Dave said. "I can't now."

"Seal up this door," the Doctor said. "We'll find another way out."

"We're not looking for a way out," the main man said. "Miss Evangelista?"

Miss Evangelista stepped up to the Doctor, Donna, and Clara with papers in her hand.

"I'm Mr. Lux's personal...everything," she said. "You need to sign these contracts agreeing that your individual experience inside the Library are the intellectual property of the Felman Lux Corporation."

"Right, give it here," the Doctor said.

"Yeah, lovely. Thanks," Donna said.

"Oh, of course," Clara said.

The three of them took the contracts from Miss Evangelista and tore them to pieces.

"My family built this Library," Mr. Lux said. "I have rights."

"You have a mouth that won't stop," River said, then turned to the Doctor. "You think there's danger here?"

"Well, what has he been saying?" Clara said.

"Something came to this Library and killed everything in it, killed a whole world. Danger? Could be," the Doctor said sarcastically.

"That was 100 years ago," River said. "The Library's been silent for 100 years. Whatever came here is long dead."

"Bet your life?" the Doctor asked.

"Always," River said, smiling at him.

"What are you doing?" Mr. Lux asked Other Dave.

"He said seal the door," Other Dave said.

"Torch!" the Doctor said, snatching one from Mr. Lux's hand.

"You're taking orders from him?" Mr. Lux asked Other Dave.

"Spooky, isn't it?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah, he's the one who's gonna save you," Clara said, hands on her hips. "So you would do well to take orders from him."

The Doctor smiled at her as he walked to the other side of the room and started looking around, using the torch to light up shadows.

"Almost every species in the universe has an irrational fear of the dark," the Doctor said. "But they're wrong. 'Cos it's not irrational. It's Vashta Nerada."

"What's Vashta Nerada?" Donna asked.

"It's what's in the dark," the Doctor said. "It's what's always in the dark. Lights! That's what we need, lights. You got lights?"

"What for?" River asked.

"Form a circle, safe area, big as you can, lights pointing out," the Doctor said.

"Oi! Do as he says," River said.

"You're not listening to this man?!" Mr. Lux asked.

"Apparently, I am," River said. "Anita, unpack the lights. Other Dave, make sure the door's secure, then help Anita. Mr. Lux, put your helmet back on, block the visor. Proper Dave, find an active terminal. I want you to access the Library database, see what you can find about what happened here a hundred years ago. Pretty Boy and Clara, you're with me. Step into my office."

Clara wasn't sure how River knew her name, as she didn't give it, but cautiously went over to the woman.

"Professor Song, why am I the only one wearing a helmet?" Mr. Lux asked.

"I don't fancy you," River said. "Pretty Boy, with me I said. Clara's already over here."

"Oh, I'm Pretty Boy?"the Doctor asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes," Donna said. "Ooh, that came out a bit quick!"

"Pretty?!" the Doctor asked.

"Meh," Donna said.

The Doctor walked over to River and Clara, while still talking.

"Don't let your shadows cross!" he said. "Seriously, don't even let them touch. Any of them could be infected."

"How can a shadow be infected?" Other Dave asked.

River was pulling things out of her bag and pulled out a book that looked like the TARDIS.

"Thanks," River said.

"For what?" the Doctor asked.

"The usual," River said. "For coming when I call."

"Oh, that was you?" the Doctor asked.

"You're both doing a very good job, acting like you don't know me," River said, looking between the Doctor and a silent Clara. "I'm assuming there's a reason."

"A fairly good one, actually," the Doctor said.

"Okay, shall we do diaries, then?" River asked. "Where are we this time? Uh, going by your faces, I'd say it's early days for you two. Yes? So, um...crash of the Byzantium, have we done that yet?"

Clara had a confused look on her face and the Doctor was expressionless.

"Obviously ringing no bells," River said, turning more pages in her diary. "Right, um, oh. Picnic at Asgard. Have we done Asgard yet?"

Clara was growing more and more confused.

"Obviously not," River said. "Blimey, very early days, then. Huh, life with a time traveler, never knew it could be such hard work."

She then looked closely at the Doctor's face.

"Look at you!" she whispered. "You're young."

"I'm really not, you know," the Doctor said.

"Nah, but you are," River said. "Your eyes. You're younger than I've ever seen you."

"You've seen me before, then?" the Doctor said.

"And Clara," River said. "Doctor, Clara...please tell me you know who I am?"

"Sorry, but I've never seen you before," Clara said.

"Who are you?" the Doctor asked.

They were interrupted by an odd sound. It wasn't an alarm, but something else.

"Sorry, that was me," Proper Dave said. "Trying to get through into the security protocols, I seem to have set something off. What is that? Is that an alarm?"

"No, I don't think it is," Clara said, listening.

"Doctor?" Donna said. "Doctor, that sounds like..."

"It is," the Doctor said. "It's a phone!"

"I'm trying to call up the data core, but it's not responding," Proper Dace said. "Just that noise."

"But it's a phone!" Donna said.

"Let me try something," the Doctor said. Whatever he did, didn't work. The screen had a logo on it and said, 'Access denied.' "Okay, doesn't like that, let's try something else. Okay, here it comes."

On the screen, a little girl appeared.

"Hello?" the Doctor asked.

"Hello," the girl said. "Are you in my television?"

"Well, no, I'm, I'm...sort of in space," the Doctor said. "I, I was trying to call up the data core of a triple-grid security processor."

"I don't think she'll understand that, Doctor," Clara whispered.

"Would you like to speak to my dad?" the girl asked.

"Dad or your mum, that'd be lovely," the Doctor said.

"I know you!" the girl said. "You were in my Library."

"_Your_ Library?" the Doctor asked.

"The Library's never been on the television before," the girl said. "What have you done?"

"Ah, I...I just rerouted the interface..." the Doctor said, before the connection was broken.

"What happened, who was that?" River asked, as the 'Access Denied' came back on the screen.

The Doctor pushed keys, but couldn't get back through. He then ran across the room to another terminal.

"I need another terminal," the Doctor said. "Keep working on those lights, we need those lights!"

"You heard him, people, let there be light," River said.

Clara walked over to the Doctor, who was on the terminal. She noticed he kept looking at River's diary.

"Don't even think about it," Clara said, taking it from the table and holding it away. It was then snatched from her by River, who had walked up behind her.

"Sorry," River said. "Neither of you are allowed to see inside the book, it's against the rules."

"What rules?" the Doctor asked.

"Your rules," River said.

All of a sudden, something very hard hit Clara in the back of the head. She turned and saw a book lying on the floor.

"Oi! Who threw that at me?" she asked.

"No one," Donna said, as books started to fly off the shelves everywhere.

"What's that? I didn't do that, did you do that?" the Doctor said.

"Not me," Proper Dave said.

Clara ducked as another book came flying at her.

"What's CAL?" the Doctor asked. The books finally stopped flying around everywhere, and Clara went back over to the Doctor. Books then started flying everywhere again.

"What's causing that?" River asked. "Is it the little girl?"

"But who is the little girl?" the Doctor asked. "What's she got to do with this place? How does the data core work? What's the principle? What's CAL?"

"Ask Mr. Lux?" River said.

"CAL, what is it?" the Doctor asked Mr. Lux.

"Sorry," Mr. Lux said. "You didn't sign your personal experience contracts."

"Mr. Lux, right now, you're in more danger than you've ever been in your whole life. And you're protecting a patent?" the Doctor asked.

"I'm protecting my family's pride," Mr. Lux said.

"Well, funny thing, Mr. Lux, I don't want to see everyone in this room dead because some idiot thinks his pride is more important," the Doctor said.

"Then why don't you sign his contract?" River asked, then paused for a second. "I didn't either. I'm getting worse than you two."

"Okay, okay, okay," the Doctor said. "Let's start at the beginning. What happened here? On the actual day, a hundred years ago, what physically happened?"

"There was a message from the Library," River said. "Just one. 'The lights are going out.' Then the computer sealed the planet, and there was nothing for a hundred years."

"It's taken three generations of my family just to decode the seals and get back in," Mr. Lux said.

"Um...excuse me..." Miss Evangelista said in a small voice.

"Not just now," Mr. Lux said.

"There was one other thing in the last message..." River said.

"That's confidential," Mr. Lux said.

"I trust this man and woman," River said, indicating to the Doctor and Clara. "With my life, with everything."

"You've only just met them!" Mr. Lux said.

"No, they've only just met me," River said.

"What does that mean, exactly?" Clara asked.

"You'll understand some day, Sweetie," River said to her.

"Well, that makes me feel better," Clara said.

"This is a data extract that came with the message," River said, showing the message to Clara and the Doctor.

"'4022 saved. No survivors'," the Doctor read.

"4022, that's the exact number of people who were in the Library when the planet was sealed," River said.

"So, what happened to them?" Clara wondered out loud.

"But how can 4022 people have been saved if there were no survivors?" Donna asked.

"That's what we're here to find out," River said.

"And so far, what we haven't found are any bodies," Mr. Lux said.

Suddenly, a scream broke out. Everyone dashed to the source of it. They arrived in a lecture room, but only found a skeleton in it.

"Everybody, careful!" the Doctor said. "Stay in the light."

"You keep saying that," Proper Dave said. "I don't see the point!"

"Why don't you step into a shadow and find out?" Clara snarled, getting frustrated with people that just didn't listen to the Doctor.

"Who screamed?" the Doctor asked.

"Miss Evangelista," Proper Dave said, giving Clara a scared look.

"Where is she?" the Doctor asked.

"Miss Evangelista, please state your current..." River said into her communicator.

Clara's mouth went wide open as River's voice was coming from the skeleton.

"Please state your current..." River said again, then whispered the last word. "...position."

She reached forward and pulled a piece of the spacesuit collar from the skeleton's neck. The green lights of the communicator were still on.

"It's her," River said. "It's Miss Evangelista."

"We heard her scream a few seconds ago," Anita said. "What could do that to a person in a few seconds?"

"It took a lot less than a few seconds," the Doctor said.

"What did?" Anita asked.

"_Hello_?" came Miss Evangelista's voice from the communicator.

"Um, I'm sorry, everyone, um, this isn't going to be pleasant," River said. "She's ghosting."

"She's what?" Donna asked.

"What's that?" Clara asked.

"_Hello, excuse me? I—I'm sorry, hello? Excuse me?_" Miss Evangelista said.

"That's...that's here, that's Miss Evangelista!" Donna said.

"I don't want to sound horrible, but couldn't we just...you know?" Other Dave asked.

"This is her last moment...no, we can't," River said. "A little respect, thank you."

"_Sorry, where am I? Excuse me?"_

"But that's Miss Evangelista," Donna said.

"How is that possible?" Clara wondered.

"It's a data ghost," River said. "She'll be gone in a moment. Miss Evangelista, you're fine, just relax. We'll be with you presently."

"What's a data ghost?" Donna asked.

"There's a neural relay in the communicator, let's you send thought mails. That's it there, those green lights," the Doctor said. "Sometimes it can hold an impression of a living consciousness for a short time after death. Like an after image."

"My grandfather lasted a day," Anita said. "Kept talking about his shoelaces."

"She's in there!" Donna said.

"_I can't see, I can't...where am I?_"

"She's just brain waves, now," Proper Dave said. "The pattern won't hold for long."

"This is horrible," Clara said, not liking it at all.

"She's conscious!" Donna said. "She's thinking."

"_I can't see, I can't...I don't know what I'm thinking_."

"She's a footprint on the beach," the Doctor said. "And the tide's coming in."

"_Where's that woman? The nice woman...is she there?_"

"What woman?" Mr. Lux asked.

"She means...I think, she means me," Donna said.

"_Is she there? The nice woman?_"

"Yeah, she's here, hang on," River said, pushing a button on her wrist, then said, "Go ahead. She can hear you."

"_Hello? Are you there?_"

"Help her," the Doctor whispered to Donna.

"She's dead," Donna said.

"Yeah," the Doctor said. "Help her."

"_Hello? Is that the nice woman?_"

"Yeah," Donna said. "Hello. Yeah, I'm, I'm...I'm here. You okay?"

"_What I said before, about being stupid. Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh._"

"Course I won't," Donna said. "Course I won't tell them..."

"_Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh..._"

"I won't tell them," Donna said. "I said I won't."

"_Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh._"

"I'm not going to tell them," Donna said.

The lights of the neural relay started blinking.

"_Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh_."

"She's looping now," River said. "The pattern's degrading."

"_I can't think, I...don't know, I...I...I...Ice cream. Ice cream. Ice cream_."

She kept repeating those words over and over.

"Does anybody mind if I...?" River asked, and Clara shook her head. River stepped up to the skeleton and turned the relay off.

"That was...that was horrible," Donna said. "That was the most horrible thing I've ever seen."

Clara gave her a hug, as Donna was in tears. The Doctor put his hand on her shoulder in comfort.

"No," River said. "It's just a freak of technology. But whatever did this to her, whatever killed her...I'd like a word with that."

"I'll introduce you," the Doctor said, as they rushed back to the room they had previously been in.

"I'm gonna need a packed lunch," the Doctor said.

"Hang on," River said, as she, the Doctor, and Clara knelt down by her pack. She pulled out her diary, searching for the food.

"What's in that book?" the Doctor asked.

"Spoilers," River said.

"Who are you?" the Doctor asked.

"Professor River Song, University of-"

"To me and Clara," the Doctor said. "Who are you to us?"

"Somebody from our future, I'm guessing," Clara said.

"Again...spoilers," River said, handing the Doctor the lunch box she had just pulled out of her pack. "Chicken, and a bit of salad. Knock yourself out."

The Doctor stayed there for a second, staring at her, before standing up.

"Right, you lot," he said. "Let's all meet the Vashta Nerada!"

He couched on the floor, sonic out, scanning the shadows. Clara stood beside Donna, who was approached by River.

"You travel with them, don't you?" River asked Donna. "The Doctor and Clara, you travel with them."

"What of it?" Donna asked. "You know him, don't you?"

"Oh, gosh, do I know that man," River said. "And Clara," she said, looking at the suspicious red-head. "We go way back, the three of us. Just not this far back."

"I'm sorry, what?" Donna asked.

"He hasn't met me yet," River said. "Neither has Clara."

Clara shook her head at Donna.

"I sent the Doctor a message, but it went wrong, it arrived too early," River said. "This is the Doctor and Clara in the days before they knew me. And they look at me, they look right through me and it shouldn't kill me, but it does."

"I'm sorry, River," Clara said. "I really don't know you. Maybe someday I might, though."

"What are you talking about?" Donna asked. "Are you just talking rubbish? Do you know them or don't you?"

"Donna! Quiet! I'm working," the Doctor said.

"Sorry!" Donna said.

"Donna? You're Donna?" River asked, surprised. "Donna Noble?"

"Yeah," Donna said. "Why?"

"I do know the Doctor and Clara," River said. "But in the future. Their personal futures."

"So that means I'll still be with the Doctor?" Clara asked.

"Spoilers," River said.

"So why don't you know me?" Donna asked. "Where am I in the future?"

Before River could answer, the Doctor stood up.

"Okay, we've got a live one!" he said. "That's not darkness down those tunnels, this is not a shadow. It's a swarm. A man-eating swarm."

He got the chicken leg from the lunch box and tossed it into the shadows. It hadn't even reached the ground and all the flesh was gone and only the bone fell to the floor.

"The piranhas of the air, the Vashta Nerada," the Doctor said. "Literally 'the shadows that melt the flesh.' Most planets have them, but usually in small clusters. I've never seen an infestation on this scale, or this aggressive."

"What d'you mean, most planets?" Donna asked. "Not Earth?"

"Mmm, Earth, and a billion other worlds," the Doctor said. "Where's there's meat, there's Vashta Nerada. You can see them sometimes, if you look. The dust in sunbeams."

"If they were on Earth, we'd know," Donna said.

"Nah, normally they live on road kill," the Doctor said. "But sometimes people go missing. Not everyone comes back out of the dark."

"Every shadow?" River asked.

"No," the Doctor said. "But any shadow."

"Well, that really helps," Clara said. "I don't think we have enough chicken to check every shadow."

"Clara's right," River said. "So, what do we do?"

"Daleks—aim for the eyestalk," the Doctor said. "Sontarans—back of the neck. Vashta Nerada...Run! Just run."

"Run? Run where?" River asked.

"This is an index point," the Doctor said. "There must be an exit teleport somewhere."

"Don't look at me, I haven't memorized the schematics!" Mr. Lux said.

"Doctor, the little shop!" Donna said. "They always make you go through the little shop on the way out so they can sell you stuff."

"You're right! Brilliant!" the Doctor said. "That's why I like the little shop!"

"Okay, let's move it!" Proper Dave said. He started to head towards the shop, but the Doctor stopped him.

"Actually, Proper Dave, could you stay where you are for a moment?" the Doctor asked.

"Why?" Proper Dave asked.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said. "I am so, so sorry. But you've got two shadows."

Clara looked at him in horror to see two shadows going from his feet, pointing in opposite directions.

"It's how they hunt, they latch on to a food source and keep it fresh," the Doctor said.

"What do I do?" Proper Dave asked.

"You stay absolutely still," the Doctor said. "Like there's a wasp in the room, like there's a million wasps."

"We're not leaving you, Dave," River said.

"Course we're not leaving," the Doctor said. "Where's your helmet? Don't point, just tell me."

"On the floor, by my bag," Proper Dave said.

Anita went over and got it for him, handing it to the Doctor.

"Don't cross his shadow!" the Doctor told Anita. "Thanks. Now, the rest of you, helmets back on and sealed up. We'll need everything we've got."

He carefully put the helmet on Proper Dave.

"But, Doctor, we haven't got any helmets," Donna said, indicating to herself, Clara, and him.

"Yeah, but we're safe anyway," the Doctor said.

"How are we safe?" Donna asked.

"We're not, that was a clever lie to shut you up," the Doctor said. Clara would have laughed if she wasn't so scared. "Professor, anything I can do with the suit?"

"What good are the damn suits?" Mr. Lux asked. "Miss Evangelista was wearing her suit, there was nothing left."

"We can increase the mesh-density, dial it up 400 percent," River said. "Make it a tougher meal."

"Okay," the Doctor said, sonicing Dave's suit. "800 percent! Pass it on."

He showed River his screwdriver to toss it to her, but she lifted up one of her own that was similar.

"Gotcha!" River said.

"What's that?" the Doctor asked, as Clara pulled out her sonic pen.

"It's a screwdriver," River said, as if it was obvious.

"It's sonic," the Doctor said.

"Yeah, I know," River said. "Snap!"

Clara helped River seal everyone's suits then went to the Doctor as he called her name.

"With me, come on!" the Doctor said, gesturing her over, as he pulled Donna to the little shop.

"What are we doing, we're shopping?" Donna asked, as Clara caught up to them. "Is it a good time to shop?"

"No talking, just moving!" the Doctor said. "Try it! Right, stand there in the middle, Clara on the left. It's a teleport. Stand in the middle. Can't send the others, TARDIS won't recognize them."

"What are you doing?" Donna asked.

Clara stayed standing behind the Doctor, arms crossed, refusing to go anywhere.

"You two don't have a suit, you're not safe!" the Doctor said. "Clara?"

"You don't have a suit, so you're in just as much danger as I am, and I'm not leaving..." Donna argued.

"Donna! Let me explain," the Doctor said. He pushed a lever and teleported Donna away.\

"Oh, that's how you do it! Clara, your turn," the Doctor said.

"I'm not going anywhere and you can't make me," she said stubbornly. "I refuse to leave you here, alone."

"Oh, alright!" the Doctor said, taking her hand and running back to everyone else, knowing he couldn't change her mind.

"Where did it go?" the Doctor asked, as they got back and Proper Dave only had one shadow.

"It's just gone," Proper Dave said. "I...I looked round, one shadow. See."

"Does that mean we can leave?" River asked. "I don't want to hang around here."

"I don't know why we're still here," Mr. Lux said. "We can leave him, can't we? I mean, no offence..."

"Shut up, Mr. Lux," River said. Clara may have not known her, but she was liking the woman more and more.

"Did you feel anything?" the Doctor asked. "Like an energy transfer? Anything at all?"

"No, no, but, look, it's, it's gone," Proper Dave said. He started to turn to show them that it was gone.

"Stop there, stop, stop, stop there, stop moving!" the Doctor said, kneeling down to examine around Dave's feet with his sonic. "They're never just gone. And they never give up. Well, this one's benign."

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Proper Dave asked.

"No one, they're fine," the Doctor said.

"No, seriously, turn them back on!" Dave said.

"They are on," River said.

"I can't see a ruddy thing," Proper Dave said.

"Dave, turn around," the Doctor said slowly.

He turned around and they couldn't see his face because of the darkness inside of his helmet.

"What's going on?" Dave asked. "Why can't I see? Is the power gone, are we safe here?"

"The power is fine," Clara said gently.

"Dave, I want you to stay still, absolutely still," the Doctor said, and Dave stiffened, giving a small cry of pain. "Dave, Dave? Dave, can you hear me, are you all right? Talk to me, Dave."

"I'm fine, I'm okay, I'm...I'm fine," Dave said.

"I want you stay still, absolutely still," the Doctor said.

"I'm fine, I'm okay, I'm, I'm fine," Dave said. "I can't...Why can't I? I...I can't...why can't I? I...I can't...why can't I? I..."

The lights on Dave's relay was blinking.

"He's gone," River said. "He's ghosting."

"Then why is he still standing?" Mr. Lux asked.

"Hey! Who turned out the lights? Hey! Who turned out the lights?" Proper Dave asked.

Cautiously, the Doctor moved closer to Dave.

"Doctor, don't!" River said.

"Doctor!" Clara said.

"Dave, can you hear me?" the Doctor asked.

"Hey! Who turned out the lights?"

Dave grabbed the Doctor and started chocking him. His helmet finally lit up, letting everyone see the skeleton that remained inside.

"Who turned out the light? Hey! Who turned out the lights?"

"Excuse me!" River said, using her sonic to stun the skeleton, freeing the Doctor.

"Back from it, get back, right back!" the Doctor said, pushing Clara behind him as he backed up.

The whole group started backing away, but were cornered by the skeleton, which was walking towards them in an awkward manner.

"Doesn't move very fast, does it?" River asked.

"It's a swarm in a suit," the Doctor said. "But it's learning."

Several shadows started to move from the skeleton's feet, out towards everyone.

"What do we do? Where do we go?" Mr. Lux asked.

"See that wall behind you?" River said. "Duck!"

Mr. Lux ducked and River pulled out a blaster and made a square hole in the wall.

"Squareness gun!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"Everybody out," River said. "Go, go, go! Move it, move, move! Move it, move, move!"

The Doctor grabbed Clara's arm and pulled her through the hold and out into a shadowy hallway between bookshelves.

"You said not every shadow," River said.

"But any shadow!" the Doctor said.

"Hey! Who turned out the lights?"

"Run!" River shouted and they all took off. River had grabbed both the Doctor's hand and Clara's as they ran.

They made it to a safe spot for the moment, as the Doctor fiddled with a lamp, while River and Clara stood near him.

"Trying to boost the power," the Doctor said. "Light doesn't stop them, but it slows them down."

"So, what's the plan? Do we have a plan?" River asked.

"You said you know him, so you should know the answer to that question," Clara said.

"Fair enough," River said, pointing her screwdriver at the lamp and the light became stronger.

"Your screwdriver...looks exactly like mine," the Doctor said.

"Yeah," River said. "You gave it to me."

"I don't give my screwdriver to anyone," the Doctor said.

"Not even me," Clara said.

"I'm not anyone," River said.

Clara looked at her suspiciously.

"Who are you?" the Doctor asked.

"What's the plan?" River asked, changing the subject.

"I teleported Donna back to the TARDIS," the Doctor said. "If we don't get back there in under five hours, emergency program one will activate."

"Take her home, yeah," River said, then turned to the rest of the group. "We need to get a shift on."

"She's not there," the Doctor said, looking at his screwdriver and looking concerned. "I should've received a signal, the console signals me if there's a teleport breach."

"Well, maybe the coordinates have slipped," River said. "The equipment here's ancient."

The Doctor ran over to a Node that was nearby.

"Donna Noble," the Doctor said. "There's a Donna Noble somewhere in this Library. Do you have the software to locate her position?"

The Node turned around and it was Donna's face on it.

"Donna Noble has left the Library," the Node said. "Donna Noble has been saved."

"Donna!" the Doctor cried, horrified.

"No!" Clara gasped.

"Donna Noble has left the Library. Donna Noble has been saved."

"How can it be Donna?" River asked. "How's that possible?"

"Donna Noble has left the Library. Donna Noble has been saved."

"The teleport must've short-circuited," Clara guessed, staring at the Node.

"Oh, Donna!" the Doctor said.

"Donna Noble has left the Library," the Node said.

"Hey! Who turned out the lights?"

"Doctor!" River cried.

"We need to move!" Clara said, but the Doctor just stood, staring at the Node.

"Donna Noble has been saved."

"Hey! Who turned out the lights?"

"Donna Noble has left the Library."

"Doctor, we've got to go, now!" River said.

"Move it!" Clara said, as she and River both grabbed the Doctor and pulled him towards the rest of the group.

"Donna Noble has been saved."

"Hey! Who turned out the lights?"

"Donna Noble has left the Library. Donna Noble has been saved."

"Hey! Who turned out the lights?"

"Donna Noble has left the Library. Donna Noble has been saved."

The were cornered as the Vashta Nerada was at one end of the aisle and the shadows were closing in at the other.

"Doctor, what are we gonna do?" River asked.

"We need to think of something and fast!" Clara said.

"Hey! Who turned out the lights?"

"Donna Noble has left the Library. Donna Noble has been saved."


	50. Forest of the Dead

**Forest of the Dead**

"Hey! Who turned out the lights? Hey! Who turned out the lights?" the Vashta Nerada asked, using Proper Dave's body to chase after them.

Thinking quickly, River used her squareness gun to make a hole in the wall beside them.

"This way, quickly, move!" River said, ushering them through.

"Hey! Who turned out the lights?"

"Okay, we've got a clear spot," River said, as they made it into a room that had a glass roof to where they could see a moon outside. "In, in, in! Right in the centre, in the middle of the light, quickly! Don't let your shadows cross. Doctor..."

"I'm doing it," the Doctor said, already checking the shadows with his sonic screwdriver.

"There's no lights here," River said. "Sunset's coming, we can't stay long. Have you found a live one?"

"Maybe, it's getting harder to tell," the Doctor said, hitting his sonic screwdriver. "What's wrong with you?"

"We're gonna need a chicken leg," River said. "Who's got a chicken leg? Thanks," she said as Other Dave handed her one.

She threw the leg into the shadow that the Doctor had been examining and it was stripped to the bone.

"Okay...okay, we've got a hot one," River said. "Watch your feet."

"They won't attack until there's enough of them, but they've got our scent now, they're coming," the Doctor said.

"Who are they?" Other Dave asked River. Clara was standing near enough to hear. "You haven't even told us. You just expect us to trust them."

"He's the Doctor and she's Clara," River said, smiling at Clara.

"And who is the Doctor and Clara?" Mr. Lux asked, looking at them suspiciously.

"The only story you'll ever tell—if you survive them," River said.

"You say they're your friends, but they don't even know who you are," Anita said.

"Listen, all you need to know is this...I'd trust that man and woman to the end of the universe. And actually, we've been," River said.

"They don't act like they trust you," Anita said.

"Yeah, there's a tiny problem," River said. "They haven't met me yet."

Clara kept an eye on River as she followed her over to the Doctor.

"What's wrong with it?" River asked the Doctor, as he was fiddling with his screwdriver.

"There's a signal coming from somewhere, interfering with it," the Doctor said.

"Then use the red settings," River suggested.

"It doesn't have a red setting," the Doctor said.

"Well, use the dampers," River said.

"It doesn't have dampers," the Doctor said.

"It will do one day," River said, showing him her screwdriver.

"Isn't that a 'spoiler'?" Clara asked, looking suspiciously at River. River just smiled at her.

"So, some time in the future, I just give you my screwdriver?" the Doctor said.

"Yeah," River said, smiling.

"Why would I do that?" the Doctor asked.

"I didn't pluck it from your cold, dead hands if that's what you're worried about," River said.

"And I know that because...?" the Doctor asked.

"Listen to me," River said. "You've lost your friend, you're angry, I understand. But you need to be less emotional, Doctor. Right now-"

"Less em...I'm not emotional!" the Doctor said.

"Um, Doctor...never mind," Clara said, ready to argue, but the Doctor gave her a look.

"There are five people in this room, still alive, so focus on that. You're hard work young!" River said.

"Young? Who are you?!" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Mr. Lux exclaimed. "Look at the pair of you! We're all gonna die right here, and you're just squabbling like an old married couple."

"Doctor, Clara...one day, I'm going to be someone that you both trust completely, but I can't wait for you to find that out," River said, looking between the two of them. "So, I'm going to prove it to you. And I'm sorry. I'm really, very sorry."

She whispered something in the Doctor's ear, stunning him, then whispered something in Clara's ear, completely confusing her.

"What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?" Clara asked.

"You'll know some day, Sweetie," River said, then turned to the Doctor. "Are we good? Doctor...are we good?"

"Yeah...yeah, we're good," the Doctor said.

"Good," River said.

Clara knew that if the Doctor was okay with River, she should be, too. Only, she didn't quite trust her at all. Sure, she liked River, but just didn't trust her. Especially since River had whispered rubbish in her ear that she didn't understand.

The Doctor was still standing there, after River had walked away, lost in thought.

"Doctor?" Clara asked, touching his arm.

He jerked back to reality, and said, "Know what interesting about my screwdriver? Very hard to interfere with, practically nothing's strong enough...Well, some hairdryers, like Clara's, but I'm working on that. So, there is a very strong signal coming from somewhere, and it wasn't there before, so what's new, what's changed?"

Clara looked around the room, thinking about what had changed.

"Come on! What's new? What's different?" the Doctor asked.

"I dunno, nothing," Other Dave said. "It's getting dark."

"It's a screwdriver, it works in the dark," the Doctor said. He looked up at the sky and noticed the moon. "Moon rise...tell me about the moon. What's there?"

"It's not real, it was built as part of the Library," Mr. Lux said. "It's just a doctor moon."

"What's a doctor moon?" the Doctor asked.

"It's a virus checker," Mr. Lux said. "It supports and maintains the main computer at the core of the planet."

"Well, still active, it's signaling, look," the Doctor said, turning on his sonic. "Someone, somewhere in this Library is alive and communicating with the moon, or, possibly alive and drying their hair. No, the signal's definitely coming from the moon. I'm blocking it, but it's trying to break through..."

A fuzzy image of Donna suddenly appeared in front of them.

"Doctor!" River exclaimed.

"Donna!" the Doctor shouted, then the image disappeared.

"How is that possible?" Clara asked.

"Doctor, Clara, that was your friend!" River said. "Can you get her back? What was that?"

"Hold on, hold on, hold on," the Doctor said. "I'm trying to find the wavelength. Ah, I'm being blocked.

"Professor?" Anita asked in a scared voice.

"Just a moment," River said.

"It's important," Anita said. "I have two shadows..."

"Okay," River said. "Helmets on, everyone. Anita, I'll get yours."

"It didn't do Proper Dave any good," Anita said.

"Just keep it together, okay?" River asked.

"Keeping it together, I'm only crying," Anita said. "I'm about to die, it's not an overreaction."

"It'll be okay," Clara assured her. "We will do all we can to help you. Won't we, Doctor?"

"Hang on," the Doctor said, sonicing Anita's helmet to make the visor dark.

"They've got inside," River said.

"No, no, no, I just tinted the visor," the Doctor said. "Maybe they'll think they're already in there, leave her alone."

"D'you think they can be fooled like that?" River asked.

"Maybe," the Doctor said. "I don't know. It's a swarm, it's not like we chat."

"Can you still see in there?" Other Dave asked.

"Just about," Anita said.

"Just, just, just...stay back," the Doctor said, ushering Clara over to him. "Professor, a quick word, please."

"What?" River asked.

"Down here," the Doctor said, and the three of them crouched down.

"What is it?" River asked.

"Like you said, there are five people still alive in this room," the Doctor said in a low voice.

"Yeah, so?" River asked.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Clara wondered.

"Well...then why are there six?" the Doctor asked.

Clara turned, with everyone else, to see a sixth person in the room that didn't belong there.

"Hey! Who turned out the lights?"

"Run!" the Doctor shouted, taking Clara's hand as they all ran out of the room, the skeleton following.

"Hey! Who turned out the lights? Hey! Who turned out the lights? Hey! Who turned out the lights?"

They ran until they were high above the city, in a corridor that connected two buildings.

"Professor, take Clara, go ahead, find a safe spot," the Doctor said.

"I'm not leaving you alone!" Clara argued.

"It's a carnivorous swarm in a suit, you can't reason with it," River said.

"Five minutes," the Doctor said to both women.

River took Clara's arm and tugged her along and said, "Other Dave, stay with him, pull him out when he's too stupid to live. Two minutes, Doctor."

"No!" Clara shouted, as River pulled her away.

They entered a larger room and River started scanning the shadows with her sonic.

"We have to go back for him," Clara said.

"You know as well as I do that he'll be fine," River said, to her, not turning around.

Clara sat down on the stairs, wishing she could do something.

"You know...it's funny, I keep wishing the Doctor was here," River said, and Clara looked up, confused.

"The Doctor is here, isn't he?" Anita asked. "He's coming back, right?"

"You know when you see a photograph of someone you know, but it's from years before you knew them? It's like they're not quite...finished, they're not done yet. Well...yes, the Doctor's here. He came when I called, just like he always does. But not _my_ Doctor. Now, my Doctor...I've seen whole armies turn and run away. And he'd just swagger off back to his TARDIS and open the doors with a snap of his fingers. The Doctor...in the TARDIS...next stop: everywhere."

"Spoilers!" the Doctor said from behind Clara at the top of the stairs. She jumped up and hugged him tightly, which he returned. "Nobody can open a TARDIS by snapping their fingers. It doesn't work like that."

"It does for the Doctor," River said.

"I _am_ the Doctor," he said, going down the stairs with Clara.

"Yeah," River said. "Some day."

The Doctor walked over to Anita and asked, "How are you doing?"

"Where's Other Dave?" River asked.

"Not coming, sorry," the Doctor said.

"Well, if they've taken him, why haven't they gotten me yet?" Anita asked.

"I don't know," the Doctor said, looking down to see that Anita still had two shadows. "Maybe tinting your visor's making a difference."

"It's making a difference all right," Anita said. "No one's ever going to see my face again."

"At least you're still alive," Clara said.

"Can I get you anything?" the Doctor asked.

"An old age would be nice," Anita said. "Anything you can do?"

"I'm all over it," the Doctor said.

"Don't worry, you'll pull out of this," Clara reassured the woman.

"Doctor, Clara...when we first met the two of you, you both didn't trust Professor Song," Anita said. "And then she whispered something in your ears and you did. My life so far...I could do with a word like that. What did she say?"

Neither the Doctor, nor Clara answered. Clara was still trying to work out what River had even meant.

"Give a dead girl a break," Anita said. "Your secrets are safe with me."

"Safe..." the Doctor said, thinking.

"What?" Anita asked.

"Safe," the Doctor repeated. "You don't say saved, nobody says saved, you say safe. The data fragment! What did it say?"

"'4022 people saved. No survivors'," Mr. Lux said.

"Doctor?" River asked.

"What does it mean?" Clara asked.

"Nobody says saved, nutters say saved, you say safe," the Doctor said. "But you see, it didn't mean safe, it meant—it literally meant—saved!"

"Saved to where, though?" Clara asked.

The Doctor ran over to a terminal and started working on it.

"See, there it is, right there!" the Doctor said, showing them all. "A hundred years ago, massive power surge, all the teleports going at once. Soon as the Vashta Nerada hit their hatching cycle, they attack. Someone hits the alarm, the computer tried to teleport everyone out."

"It tried to teleport 4,022 people?" River asked.

"But teleport them where?" Clara asked.

"It succeeded, pulled 'em all out, but then what?" the Doctor asked. "Nowhere to send them, nowhere safe in the whole Library, Vashta Nerada growing in every shadow. 4,022 people all beamed up and nowhere to go. They're stuck in the system, waiting to be sent, like emails. So, what's a computer to do? What does a computer always do?"

"It saved them," River said.

"What, like some sort of file?" Clara asked.

The Doctor nodded and said, "The Library, a whole world of books, and right at the core, the biggest hard drive in history. The index to everything every written, backup copies of every single book. The computer saved 4,022 people the only way a computer can. It saved them to the hard drive."

"That's impossible," Clara said.

Alarms started blaring quite suddenly.

"What is it?" Mr. Lux asked. "What's wrong?"

"Autodestruct enabled in 20 minutes," the computer said.

"What's maximum erasure?" River asked.

"20 minutes, this planet's gonna crack like an egg," the Doctor said.

"No! No, it's all right, the doctor moon will stop it," Mr. Lux said. "It's programmed to protect CAL."

"Yes, but what is CAL?" Clara asked, but Mr. Lux didn't answer.

Clara joined the Doctor and River at the terminal, where the Doctor was trying to stop the autodestruct. The screen suddenly went black.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" the Doctor shouted.

"All Library systems are permanently offline," the computer said. "Sorry for any inconvenience. Shortly.."

"We need to stop this, we've got to save CAL!" Mr. Lux said.

"What is it, what is CAL?" the Doctor asked.

"We need to get to the main computer, I'll show you," Mr. Lux said.

"It's at the core of the planet," the Doctor said.

"Well, then, let's go!" River said, sonicing the symbol on the floor in the center of the room. "Gravity platform!"

"I bet I like you," the Doctor said.

"Oh, you do!" River said, as the Doctor helped Clara onto the platform. She grabbed onto his arm as the platform started to descend.

Down in the core, Clara gasped at the sight before them. The hard drive and the computer was huge!

"Autodestruct in 15 minutes," the computer said.

"The Data Core!" the Doctor said. "4,000 living minds, trapped inside it."

"Yeah, well, they won't be living much longer, we're running out of time," River said.

A voice started coming out of the computer terminal.

"Help me. Please, help me."

"What's that?" Anita asked.

"Was that a child?" River asked.

"It sounded like it," Clara said.

"Computer's in sleep mode," the Doctor said, pressing keys on the keyboard. "I can't wake it up. I'm trying."

"Doctor, these reading!" River said.

"I know, you'd think it was...dreaming," the Doctor said.

"It is dreaming...of a normal life, and a lovely Dad, and of every book ever written," Mr. Lux said.

"Computers don't dream," Anita said.

"Help me. Please help me."

"No," Mr. Lux said. "But little girls do."

He pushed a lever and went into the next room, with the Doctor, Clara, River, and Anita following. A Node turned around and it had a little girl's face on it, pleading for help.

"Please help me. Please help me," the girl said.

"Oh, my gosh!" River said.

"It's the little girl," Anita said. "The girl we saw in the computer."

"She's not in the computer," Mr. Lux said. "In a way, she is the computer. The main command node. This is CAL."

"CAL is a child!" the Doctor exclaimed. "A child hooked up to a mainframe? Why didn't you tell me this? I needed to know this!"

"Because she's family!" Mr. Lux said. "CAL...Charlotte Abigail Lux. My grandfather's youngest daughter. She was dying, so he built her a library, and put her living mind inside, with a moon to watch over her and all of human history to pass the time, any era to live in, any book to read. She loved books more than anything. He gave her them all. He asked only that she be left in peace. A secret, not a freak show."

"So you weren't protecting a patent, you were protecting her," the Doctor said.

"This is only a half a life, of course," Mr. Lux said. "But it's forever."

"And then the shadows came," the Doctor said.

"Shadows," CAL said. "I have to...I have to save. Have to save..."

"And she saved them," the Doctor said. "She saved everyone in the Library, folded them into her dreams and kept them safe."

"Then why didn't she tell us?" Anita asked.

"Because she's forgotten," the Doctor said. "She's got over 4,000 living minds chatting away insider her head, it must be like...being...well, me."

"So, what do we do?" River asked.

"How do we get everyone out?" Clara asked.

"Autodestruct in ten minutes," the computer said.

"Easy!" the Doctor said. "We beam all the people out of the data core, the computer will reset and stop the countdown. Difficult, Charlotte doesn't have enough memory space left to make the transfer. Easy! I'll hook myself up to the computer and she can borrow my memory space!"

"Difficult! It'll kill you stone dead!" River said.

"What?!" Clara exclaimed, horrified.

"Yeah, it's easy to criticize," the Doctor said.

"It'll burn out both your hearts and don't think you'll regenerate!" River said.

"I'll try my hardest not to die," the Doctor said, while Clara stared at him in horror. "Honestly, it my main thing."

"Doctor!" River said.

"I'm right and this works!" the Doctor said. "Shut up. Now, listen, you and Luxy-boy, take Clara back up to the main Library. Prime any data cell you can find for maximum download, and before you say anything else, Professor, can I just mention in passing as you air, shut up!"

"Ah! I hate you sometimes!" River said.

"I know!" the Doctor said.

"Mr. Lux, Clara, with me!" River said. "Anita, if he dies, I'll kill him!"

"Not before I do," Clara said, as River and Mr. Lux left. She stayed behind, not leaving the Doctor for anything.

"I told you to go," the Doctor said.

"Well, that's too bad," Clara said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I guess I don't listen as well as you'd like. I'm staying."

The Doctor groaned. "Why do you have to be so stubborn?" he asked.

"Guess I learned from the best, dear," Clara said, nearly glaring at him.

"Er, what about the Vashta Nerada?" Anita asked nervously.

"There are their forests," the Doctor said. "I'm gonna seal Charlotte inside her little world, take everybody else away. The shadows can swarm to their hearts' content."

"So you think they're just gonna let us go?" Anita asked.

"Best offer they're gonna get," the Doctor said.

"You're gonna make 'em an offer?" Anita asked.

"They'd better take it, 'cos right now, I'm finding it very hard to make any kind of offer at all," the Doctor said, pushing Clara behind him. "You know what? I really liked Anita. She was brave, even when she was crying, and she never gave in. And you ate her."

He soniced the spacesuit to reveal a skeleton inside.

"But I'm gonna let that pass," the Doctor said. "Just as long as you let them pass."

"How long have you known?" the Vashta Nerada asked in Anita's voice.

"I counted the shadows," the Doctor said. "You only have one now. She's nearly gone. Be kind."

"These are your forests," the Vashta Nerada said. "We are not kind."

"I'm giving you back your forests, but you are giving me them," the Doctor said. "You are letting them go."

He walked back to the terminal, with Clara still behind him. Shadows reached out from Anita's feet, stretching towards the Doctor and Clara.

"These are our forests," the Vashta Nerada said. "They are our meat."

"Don't play games with me!" the Doctor shouted. "You just killed someone I liked, that is not a safe place to stand. I'm the Doctor and you're in the biggest library in the universe. Look me up."

There was a pause and then the shadows drew back.

"You have one day," the Vashta Nerada said, before collapsing Anita's body to the ground. River ran to her body.

"Anita!" she said.

"I'm sorry, she's been dead a while now," the Doctor said. "I told you to go!"

"Lux can manage without me," River said. "But you can't."

She walked right up to the Doctor and punched him.

"River!" Clara cried out, rushing towards the woman to restrain her.

"I'm sorry," River said, punching Clara as well, knocking her out cold.

When Clara slowly woke up, she was handcuffed to the Doctor, who was also regaining consciousness.

"Autodestruct in two minutes," the computer said.

Clutching her head with her free hand, Clara noticed that River was sitting in a chair, fiddling with wires.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, come on, what are you doing?" the Doctor asked. "That's my job!"

"Oh, and I'm not allowed to have a career, I suppose?" River asked.

"Why am I handcuffed?" the Doctor asked, then noticed Clara. "And Clara? Why do you even have handcuffs?"

"Spoilers!" River said, grinning at Clara, who was confused.

"This is not a joke, stop this now, this is gonna kill you!" the Doctor said. "I'd have a chance, you don't have any."

"You wouldn't have a chance, and neither do I," River said. "And besides, do you think Clara would let you go alone?"

Clara turned to the Doctor and said, "I would never let you die alone, Doctor. If you went, so would I."

"I'm timing it for the end of the countdown, there'll be a blip in the command flow," River said. "That way, it should improve our chances of a clean download."

"River! Please! No!" the Doctor shouted.

"Funny thing is, this means you two've always known how I was going to die," River said. "All the time we've all been together, you two knew I was coming here. The last time I saw you two, the real you, the future you, I mean—you two turned up on my doorstep, with a new haircut and a suit. You both took me to Darillium to see the singing towers. Oh, what a night that was! The towers sand, and you both cried."

"Autodestruct in one minute," the computer said.

"You both wouldn't tell me why, but I suppose you knew it was time," River said. "My time. Time to come to the Library. You even gave me your screwdriver, and Clara, your handcuffs—that should've been a clue."

Both the Doctor's and River's sonics were on the floor, along with Clara's sonic pen, on top of River's diary. The Doctor tried to reach for them, but it was too far. Also, it pulled painfully on Clara's wrist.

"There's nothing you can do," River said.

"You can let me do this!" the Doctor said.

"If you die here, and Clara as well, it'll mean I've never met you both," River said.

"Time can be rewritten!" the Doctor said.

"Not those times," River said. "Not one line! Don't you dare! It's okay. It's okay, it's not over for you two. You'll both see me again. You've got all of that to come. You, Clara, and me, time and space. You watch us run!"

Clara teared up. She would rather that no one died, but if she had to choose for herself and the safety of the universe, she would rather it was River than the Doctor and herself. Because if the Doctor died, she was following right after him.

"River, you know my name!" the Doctor said.

"What?" Clara asked.

"You whispered my name in my ear," the Doctor said.

"And you told me a bunch of gibberish," Clara said.

"...nine, eight, seven..." the computer counted down.

"There's only one reason I would ever tell anyone my name," the Doctor said. "There's only one time I could..."

"Hush, now!" River said, crying. "Spoilers..."

She smiled at the two of them tenderly.

"...three, two, one..."

River plugged two cables together, and a blinding white light made Clara look away.

"No!" Clara said, crying. She had liked River, even come to slightly trust her in the end, despite everything.

"What do we do now, Doctor?" Clara asked quietly.

"I don't know," he said back, just as quietly.

Clara was finally able to stretch as far as she could and reached for the screwdrivers, grabbing the Doctor's. They used it to free themselves from the handcuffs, which Clara stuck in her pocket, now knowing they'd be important for the future.

The Doctor handed Clara back her sonic pen and took River's screwdriver and her diary and carried them back up to the main Library with him.

Clara immediately spotted Donna and hugged the other red-head. Donna also embraced the Doctor.

The Doctor and Clara waited by the little shop while Donna searched the crowd for a man that she had met in the other world that she had been living in.

"Any luck?" the Doctor asked Donna as she walked back over to them. Clara had her arm around his waist and vice versa.

"There wasn't even anyone called Lee in the Library that day," Donna said. "Suppose he could have had a different name out here, but let's be honest, he wasn't real, was he?"

"Maybe not," the Doctor said.

"I made up the perfect man," Donna said. "Gorgeous, adores me, and hardly able to speak a word. What's that say about me?"

"Everything," the Doctor said, lost in thoughts.

"He doesn't mean that," Clara said, as Donna looked offended.

"Sorry, did I say everything?" the Doctor said. "I meant to say 'nothing.' I was aiming for 'nothing,' I accidentally said 'everything'."

"What about you two?" Donna asked. "Are you both all right?"

"I'm all right," Clara said.

"I'm always all right," the Doctor said.

"Is 'all right' special Time Lord code for 'really not all right at all'?" Donna asked.

"Why?" the Doctor asked.

"'Cos I'm all right, too," Donna said.

Clara gave Donna a sad smile, as they all three took each other's hands.

"Come on," the Doctor said, as they left the room.

The Doctor put River's TARDIS diary down in the Library.

"Your friend...Professor Song...she knew you two in the future, but she didn't know me," Donna said. "What happens to me? Because when she heard my name, the way she looked at me..."

"Donna...this is her diary," the Doctor said. "Mine and Clara's future. I could look you up. What do you think. Shall we peek at the end?"

"Spoilers, right?" Donna asked.

"Right," the Doctor said.

"Which could be bad," Clara said.

The three of them looked at each other, then the Doctor put River's sonic screwdriver on top of the book and they all turned and started walking back up the stairs.

"Come on," he said. "The next chapter's this way."

At the top of the stairs, the Doctor suddenly turned right back round and ran to the bottom of the stairs, with Clara right behind him.

He picked up the sonic and said, "Why? Why would I give her my screwdriver? Why would I do that? Thing is, future me had years to think about it, all those years to think of a way to save her, and what he did was give her a screwdriver! Why would I do that?"

Clara watched as he opened a part of the screwdriver, revealing green lights, like a neural relay.

"Oh!" the Doctor gasped. "Oh, look at that! I'm very good!"

"What have you done?" Donna asked, after joining them.

"Saved her!" the Doctor shouted, before taking off across the Library.

"Let's go back to the TARDIS," Clara said to Donna, who nodded.

After sitting in the pilot chair and waiting for a while, the TARDIS doors suddenly popped open and the Doctor was standing there with an smile on his face, fingers in the air, like he had snapped them. Clara was amazed that River had been right: the Doctor _could_ open the TARDIS by snapping his fingers.

He entered the TARDIS and snapped his fingers again to close the doors.


	51. The Unicorn and the Wasp

**The Unicorn and the Wasp**

Stepping out on beautiful green grass, Clara inhaled deeply, loving the outdoor smells. The Doctor and Donna followed behind her, the Doctor also sniffing.

"Oh, smell that air," he said. "Grass and lemonade, and a little bit of mint. Just a hint of mint, must be the 1920s."

"You can tell what year it is just by smelling?" Donna asked in disbelief.

"Oh, yeah," the Doctor said.

"Sometimes," Clara said.

"Or, maybe that vintage car coming up the drive gave it away," Donna said, and Clara laughed.

The three of them followed the car to a huge mansion, and they all peeked around the corner of the house.

"You go on up," said a man to a butler. "I need to check something in the library."

"Oh?" the butler asked.

"Alone," the man said.

"It's supposed to be a party," the butler said. "All this work will be the death of you."

"Never mind Planet Zog," Donna said. "A party in the 1920s—that's more like it."

"The trouble is, we haven't been invited," the Doctor said, then reached into his coat pocket. "Oh, I forgot—yes, we have."

He pulled out the psychic paper and waved it at them, grinning.

Donna, wanting a real 1920s party experience, drug Clara back to the TARDIS, and then to the wardrobe. She pulled out a very pretty 1920s dress and tossed it to Clara, ordering her to put it on. The thing that Clara liked most, was the fact that the shoes had little to no heel on it.

Donna and Clara were making their way across the console room, when they heard the Doctor knocking on the TARDIS door.

"We'll be late for cocktails!" he said loudly.

Donna decided to surprise him by opening the door quickly, which didn't work.

"What do you think?" Donna asked, stepping out of the TARDIS, followed by Clara. "Flapper or slapper?"

"Flapper," the Doctor said, smiling. "You both look lovely."

"Why, thank you, dear," Clara said, smiling back. The Doctor held out both of his arms, which Donna and Clara took as they went to join the party.

"Good afternoon!" the Doctor said, as they strode up. A man walked up to them.

"Drink, sir? Madams?" he asked.

"Sidecar, please," Donna said.

"I'll have the same," Clara said.

"And a lime and soda, thank you," the Doctor said.

"May I introduce Lacy Clemency Eddison," the butler said. A petite woman arrived, dressed in what Clara thought was gorgeous.

"Lady Eddison!" the Doctor said, holding out his hand, as if he were greeting an old friend.

"Excuse me, but who exactly might you be...and what are you doing here?" Lady Eddison asked.

"I'm the Doctor, and this is Miss Donna Noble...of the Chiswick Nobles, and Miss Clara Tyler of Powell Estate," the Doctor said.

"Good afternoon, my lady," Donna said in a posh accent, curtseying. "Topping day, what? Spiffing! Top hole!"

"No, no, no, no, no," the Doctor said. "Don't do that. Don't."

Clara hid her grin behind her hand as the Doctor held up the psychic paper.

"We were thrilled to receive your invitation, my lady," the Doctor said. "We met at the ambassador's reception."

"Doctor, how could I forget you?" Lady Eddison asked. "But one must be sure with the Unicorn on the loose."

"A unicorn?" the Doctor asked. "Brilliant. Where?"

"Uh, the Unicorn," Lady Eddison said. "The jewel thief? And nobody know who he is. He's just struck again. Snatched Lady Babbington's pearls right under her nose."

"Funny place to wear pearls," Donna said softly.

Clara had to cover her laugh up as a cough as Donna glared at her.

"May I announce the Col. Hugh Curbishley, the Hon Roger Curbishley," the butler said.

A younger man pushed a wheelchair that an older man was sitting in.

"My husband," Lady Eddison. "And my son."

"Forgive me for not rising," Hugh said. "Never been the same since the flu epidemic back in '18."

"My word!" Roger said to Donna. "You are a super lady!"

"Oh!" Donna said. "I like the cut of your jib. Chin-chin."

"I'm the Doctor," he said, shaking Roger's hand.

"And I'm Clara," she said, also shaking Roger's hand.

"How do you do?" Roger asked.

"Very well, thanks," the Doctor said.

"Yes, well," Clara said.

"Your usual, sir," the man said, approaching with Roger's drink.

"Ah, thank you, Davenport," Roger said. "Just how I like it."

"How come she's an Eddison but her husband and son are Curbishleys?" Donna asked the Doctor.

"The Eddison title descends through her," the Doctor said. "On day, Roger will be a lord."

"Miss Robina Redmond," the butler announced, as a young woman arrived.

"She's the absolute hit of the social season," Lady Eddison said. "A must. Miss Redmond."

"Spiffing to meet you at last, my lady," Robina said.

"Rev. Arnold Golightly," the butler announced.

"Ah, Reverend!" Lady Eddison said. "How are you? I heard about the church last Thursday night, those ruffians breaking in."

"You apprehended them, I hear," Hugh said.

"As the Christian fathers taught me, we must forgive them their trespasses," Golightly said.

"Some of these young boys deserve a decent thrashing," Roger said.

"Couldn't agree more, sir," Davenport said and Roger cleared his throat.

"Typical," Donna said. "All the decent men are on the other bus."

"Or Time Lords," the Doctor said.

"Oh, really?" Clara asked, giving him an odd look.

"Except for me, of course," the Doctor grinned at her, putting his arm around her waist.

"Now, my lady, what about his special guest you promised us?" Golightly asked.

"Here she is," Lady Eddison said. "A lady who needs no introduction."

Clara applauded with everyone else, but didn't recognize the woman walking across the lawn.

"Oh, no," the woman said. "Please don't. Thank you, Lady Eddison. Honestly, there's no need."

She walked over to Donna and Clara and shook both of their hands.

"Agatha Christie," she said. Clara's jaw dropped. She loved all of Agatha Christie's books and short stories, especially Miss Marple.

"What about her?" Donna asked and Clara elbowed her.

"That's me," Agatha said.

"No! You're kidding!" Donna said.

"Agatha Christie!" the Doctor exclaimed, shaking her hand. "I was just talking about you the other day. I said, 'I bet she's brilliant.' I'm the Doctor, and this is Donna and Clara. Oh, I love your stuff! What a mind! You fool me every time. Well...almost every time. Well...once or twice. Well...once. But it was a good once."

"You make a rather unusual couple," Agatha said, looking at the Doctor and Donna, who were standing closer together than Clara was.

"Oh, no, no, no, no," the Doctor said. "We're not married."

"We're not a couple," Donna said. "But they are." She indicated to Clara and the Doctor."

"Obviously not," Agatha said. "No wedding ring."

"Oh...you don't miss a trick," the Doctor said.

"And I'd stay that way if I were you," Agatha said. "The thrill is in the chase, never in the capture."

"Oh, don't I know that," Clara said.

"Mrs. Christie, I'm so glad you could come," Lady Eddison said. "I'm one of your greatest followers. I've read all six of your books. Uh, is, uh, Mr. Christie not joining us?"

"Is he needed?" Agatha asked. "Can't a woman make her own way in the world?"

"Don't give my wife ideas," Hugh said.

"Mrs. Christie, I have a question," Roger said. "Why a Belgian detective?"

"Excuse me, Colonel," the Doctor said, taking a newspaper."

"Belgians make such lovely buns," Agatha said, and Clara laughed with everyone else.

"Where on Earth's Professor Peach?" Roger asked. "He'd love to meet Mrs. Christie."

"Said he was going to the library," Golightly said.

The Doctor motioned for Donna and Clara to join him.

"Miss Chandrakala, would you go and collect the professor?" Lady Eddison asked.

"At once, my lady," Miss Chandrakala said, heading for the house.

"The date on the newspaper," the Doctor said to Clara and Donna, once they had walked over to him.

"What about it?" Donna asked.

"It's the day Agatha Christie disappeared," the Doctor said. "She just discovered her husband was having an affair."

"The poor woman," Clara said.

"You'd never think to look at her smiling away," Donna said.

"Well, she's British and moneyed," the Doctor said. "That's what they do—they carry on. Except for this one time. No one knows exactly what happened—she just vanished."

He turned the newspaper around to show them the headline that read, '_Mystery Writer Disappears_.'

"Her car will be found tomorrow morning by the side of a lake," the Doctor said. "Ten days later, she turns up at a hotel in Harrogate. Said she'd lost her memory. She never spoke about the disappearance till the day she died. But whatever it was..."

"It's about to happen," Donna said.

"Right here, right now," the Doctor said.

"Should we interfere?" Clara wondered.

"The professor!" Miss Chandrakala cried, running out of the house. "The library! Murder! Murder!"

"And I suppose that answers my question," Clara said, as the Doctor grinned.

He then dashed off, Clara and Donna following, along with Agatha. The Doctor was the first into the library, then Donna, Clara and Agatha. The butler then entered.

"Oh, my goodness," the butler said.

"Bashed on the back of the head," the Doctor said. "Blunt instrument. Watch broke as he fell, time of death was quarter past four."

The Doctor stood up to examine the papers on the desk.

"Bit of pipe," Donna said. "All me Hercule Poirot, but I reckon that's blunt enough."

"Nothing worth killing for in that lot, dry as dust," the Doctor said, finished with the desk.

"Hold on, the body in the library?" Donna said softly to the Doctor and Clara. "I mean, Professor Peach, in the library, with a lead piping?"

"It's a bit Clue," Clara said.

"Let me see!" Lady Eddison demanded from the hall.

"Out of my way!" Hugh said.

"Gerald!" Lady Eddison exclaimed, as she entered the room and saw the body. Soon, everyone else arrived.

"Saints preserve us," Golightly said.

"Oh, how awful," Robina said.

"Someone should call the police." Agatha said.

"You don't have to," the Doctor said, taking out the psychic paper. "Chief Inspector Smith from Scotland Yard, known as the Doctor. Miss Noble and Miss Tyler are the plucky young girls who help me out."

"I say," Lady Eddison said.

"Mrs. Christie was right," the Doctor said. "Go into the sitting room. I will question each of you in turn."

"Come along," Agatha said. "Do as the Doctor says. Keep the room undisturbed."

Everyone left except for the Doctor, Donna, and Clara.

"'The plucky young girls who help me out'?" Donna asked.

"Seriously?" Clara asked.

The Doctor was stretched out on the floor, examining it for clues.

"There were no policewomen in 1926," the Doctor said.

"I'll pluck you in a minute," Donna said. "Why don't we phone the real police?"

"The last thing we want is PC Plod sticking his nose in," the Doctor said. "Especially...now I've found this. Morphic residue."

"Morphic?" Donna asked. "Doesn't sound very 1926."

"What is it even?" Clara asked.

"Gets left behind when certain species genetically re-encode," the Doctor said.

"The murderer's an alien?" Donna asked.

"Which means that one of that lot is an alien in human form," the Doctor said.

"And now we find them," Clara said.

"Yeah, but think about it," Donna said. "There's a murder, a mystery, and Agatha Christie."

"So?" the Doctor asked, sniffing the residue. "Happens to me all the time."

He held the residue out to Donna.

"No, but isn't that a bit weird?" Donna asked. "Agatha Christie didn't walk around surrounded by murders. Not really. That's like meeting Charles Dickens and he's surrounded by ghosts. At Christmas."

"Well-" the Doctor said.

"Been there, done that," Clara said, remember the Gelth.

"Oh, come on," Donna said. "It's not like we could drive across country and find Enid Blyton having tea with Noddy. Could we? Noddy's not real, is he? Tell me there's no Noddy."

"There's no Noddy," the Doctor said, heading for the door with Clara and Donna following.

"Next thing you'll be telling me it's like Murder on the Orient Express and they all did it," Donna said.

"Murder on the Orient Express?" Agatha asked, still in the hallway.

"Oh, yeah," Donna said. "One of your best."

"But not yet," the Doctor said.

"Marvelous ides, though," Agatha said.

"Yeah, tell you what—Copyright: Donna Noble, yeah?" Donna said.

"Anyway, Agatha and I will question the suspects," the Doctor said. "Donna, you and Clara search the bedrooms, look for clues."

He then lowered his voice to a whisper.

"Any more residue. You'll need these," he said, pulling two large magnifying glasses from his pocket.

"Are those for real?" Donna asked.

"Looks like it," Clara said.

"Go on," the Doctor said. "You're both ever so plucky."

"Oh, be quiet," Clara said, taking one of the magnifying glasses and followed Donna upstairs.

"You take the left side of the hallway and I'll take the right?" Clara asked Donna.

"Sounds good to me," Donna said.

Clara went along the right side of the hallway, finding nothing but empty bedrooms. Not even a speck of dust in them. Especially no residue. On the last room, Clara heard Donna scream and ran down the hall to the room Donna was in.

Donna was backed up against the window, a giant wasp blocking her path.

"Doctor!" Donna cried.

"Use your magnifying glass!" Clara said, and Donna held it up to the sunlight. The wasp screeched in pain as Donna aimed the beam of sunlight at it. "Come on!" Clara cried.

Donna ran for the door, and Clara slammed the door behind them. They had barely been out of the room when a giant stinger came through the door.

"Doctor!" Donna cried out again, while Clara screamed. The Doctor and Agatha ran up to them. "There was a giant...wasp!"

"Huge!" Clara exclaimed.

"What do you mean, giant wasp?" the Doctor asked.

"I mean a wasp that's giant!" Donna said.

"Really giant!" Clara said.

"It's only a silly little insect," Agatha said.

"When I say 'giant,' I don't mean big, I mean flippin' enormous!" Donna said. "Look at its sting!"

"It tried to kill us!" Clara said.

"Let me see!" the Doctor said, then he opened the door.

"Don't!" Clara said.

"It's gone," the Doctor said, reassuring her. "Buzzed off."

"But that's fascinating," Agatha said, seeing the broken stinger.

"D—D—D—Don't touch it," the Doctor said. "Don't touch it. Let me."

He took out a vial and gathered a sampled off the stinger.

"Giant wasp...well, there are tons of amorphous insectivorous lifeforms, but...none in this galactic vector," the Doctor said.

"I think I understood some of those words," Agatha said. "Enough to know that you're completely potty."

"Welcome to our world," Clara said, indicating to herself and Donna.

"Lost its sting, though," Donna said. "That makes it defenseless."

"A creature that size?" the Doctor asked. "Gotta be able to grow a new one."

"Yeah, but how fast?" Clara asked.

"Uh, can we return to sanity?" Agatha asked. "There are no such things as giant wasps."

"Exactly!" the Doctor said. "So...the question is, what's it doing here?"

"Maybe there's something outside of the window?" Clara suggested.

"Good idea!" the Doctor said, as they went downstairs. As they were going down, they heard a scream. Clara nearly tripped sprinting downstairs.

"Oh, my gosh!" Clara said, clapping her hand over her mouth. They found Miss Chandrakala lying in the drive, a gargoyle on top of her.

"The poor, little...child," Miss Chandrakala said, gasping, then died.

Clara heard a buzzing noise, and though it was her ears ringing until the Doctor shouted, "There!"

Clara whipped her head upwards to see the giant wasp again.

"Come on!" the Doctor shouted, running back inside with Clara, Donna, and Agatha following.

"Well, this makes a change," Donna said. "There's a monster and we're chasing it."

"Not new for me," Clara said.

"Can't be a monster," Agatha said. "It's a trick. They do it with mirrors."

They reached the top of the stairs and stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the wasp.

"By all that's holy..." Agatha gasped.

"Oh, but you are wonderful!" the Doctor said and the wasp turned and faced him. "Now, just stop there."

The wasp rushed at them, stinger first, and they all ducked.

"Well, I guess that answers how fast the stinger grows," Clara said, standing back up.

"Oi! Flyboy!" Donna said, holding up her magnifying glass.

Nothing happened and it flew away.

"Don't let it get away!" the Doctor said. "Quick, before it reverts to human form!"

They chased after it again, to a hallway that was lined with doors.

"Where are you?" the Doctor said. "Come on! There's nowhere to run—show yourself!"

The doors that lined the hallway all opened and all the guests were standing there, staring at them.

"Oh, that's just cheating," the Doctor said.

"And no help whatsoever," Clara said.

"Right, everyone to the sitting room!" the Doctor said.

"My faithful companion!" Lady Eddison said, in tears. "This is terrible!"

"Excuse me, my lady," Davenport said. "She was on her way to tell you something."

"She never found me," Lady Eddison said. "She had an appointment with death instead."

"She said, 'the poor, little child'," the Doctor said. "Does that mean anything to anyone?"

"No children in this house for years," Hugh said, then looked at his son. "Highly unlikely there will be."

"Mrs. Christie, you must have twigged something," Lady Eddison said. "You've written simply the best detective stories."

"Tell us...what would Poirot do?" Golightly said.

"Heaven's sake!" Hugh said. "Cards on the table, woman! You should be helping us!"

"But—I'm merely a writer," Agatha said.

"But surely you can crack it," Robina said. "These events, they're exactly like one of your plots."

"That's what I've been saying," Donna said. "Agatha, that's got to mean something."

"But what?" Agatha said. "I've no answers. None. I'm sorry, all of you, I'm truly sorry, but I've failed. If anyone can help us, it's the Doctor, not me."

"I feel like we're missing something, Doctor," Clara said, as they were in the sitting room, alone. Donna had gone to find Agatha, who had gone outside.

It wasn't long after that that Agatha and Donna came rushing in with a box that they had found underneath one of the windows outside.

The Doctor opened the doors and found a bunch of tools.

"Ooh...someone came tooled up...the sort of stuff a thief would use," the Doctor said.

"The Unicorn—he's here!" Agatha said.

"The Unicorn and the wasp," the Doctor said.

Greeves, the butler, then entered with a tray.

"Your drinks, ladies, Doctor," Greeves said.

"Very good, Greeves," the Doctor said.

"Well, that only took a long time," Clara commented, after they had taken their drinks and Greeves had left.

"What about the science stuff?" Donna asked. "What did you find?"

"Hm, Vespiform sting," the Doctor said. "Vespiforms have got hives in the Silifax Galaxy."

"Again, you talk like Edward Lear," Agatha said.

"For some reason, this one's behaving like a character in one of your books," the Doctor said, taking a drink.

"Come on, Agatha," Donna said. "What would Miss Marple do? She'd've overheard something vital by now because the murderer thinks she's just a harmless old lady."

"Clever idea," Agatha said. "Miss Marple—who writes those?"

"Um, copyright: Donna Noble. Add it to the list," Donna said.

"Donna, Clara," the Doctor said.

"Okay, we could split the copyright," Donna said.

Clara looked at the Doctor and saw that he looked like he was in pain.

"No—something's inhibiting my enzymes," the Doctor said, then jerked forward. "Aaahhh!"

Clara was across the room in record time. Donna was over there nearly as fast.

"I've been poisoned!" the Doctor said, the convulsed.

"What do we do? What do we do?" Donna asked.

"Doctor!" Clara exclaimed.

Agatha sniffed the glass and said, "Bitter almonds—it's cyanide. Sparkling cyanide!"

The Doctor ran out of the room, with Clara directly on his heels. He ran into the kitchen, where he found Davenport and grabbed him by his jacket.

"Ginger beer," the Doctor said.

"I beg your pardon?" Davenport asked.

"I need ginger beer," the Doctor said, running to shelves.

"The gentleman's gone mad!" the cook said.

"No, he hasn't," Clara said, as the Doctor drank the ginger beer, then poured the rest over his head. "Well, maybe."

"I'm an expert in poisons, Doctor," Agatha said. "It's fatal! There's no cure!"

The Doctor spat out the ginger beer and gripped the edge of the table.

"Not for me!" he said. "I can stimulate the inhibited enzymes into reversal. Protein! I need protein!"

"Here!" Clara said, tossing a container at Donna, who was closer to the Doctor.

"Walnuts!" Donna said.

"Brilliant!" the Doctor said, taking the walnuts from Donna and stuffed them into his mouth.

"I can't understand you!" Donna said, as the Doctor tried to talk with his mouth full. He shook one of his hands. "How many words?"

The Doctor held up one finger.

"One," Donna said. "One word. Shake? Milk? Shake? Milk? Milk! No, not milk. Um, shake, shake, shake—cocktail shaker! What do you want, a Harvey Wallbanger?"

The Doctor swallowed and said, "Harvey Wallbanger?"

"Well, I don't know!" Donna said.

"How is Harvey Wallbanger one word?" the Doctor asked.

"What do you need, Doctor?" Agatha asked.

"Salt!" the Doctor said. "I was miming salt! Salt! I need something salty!"

"What about this?" Donna asked, showing him a brown bag.

"What is it?" the Doctor asked.

"It's salt," Donna said.

"That's too salty!" the Doctor said.

"Oh, that's too salty," Donna said.

"We're only trying to help," Clara said, concerned, but the Doctor was being a bit rude.

"What about this?" Agatha asked, holding out a jar.

"Hmm," the Doctor said, taking the jar, opening it, and downed the contents.

"What's that?" Donna asked.

"Anchovies," Agatha said.

"Disgusting," Clara said.

The Doctor started gesturing again, hands up, palms out.

"Oh, here we go again," Clara groaned.

"What is it?" Donna asked. "What else? It's a song. 'Mammy.' I don't know, 'Camptown Races'?"

"'Camptown Races'?!" the Doctor asked, after swallowing again.

"Well, all right then," Donna said. "'Towering Inferno'."

"It's a shock!" the Doctor said. "Look! Shock! I need a shock!"

"You do it," Clara said, pushing Donna forward, knowing what she had in mind.

"All right, then, big shock coming up," Donna said, then kissed him.

Clara knew that it wouldn't be much of a shock if she had done it, instead of Donna. The second Donna pulled away, the Doctor threw back his head and emitted a black smoke out of his mouth.

"Ah! Detox," he said, wiping his mouth. "I must do that more often."

He then looked at Donna and Clara.

"I mean the—the detox," he said.

"You'd better," Clara said.

"Doctor, you are impossible!" Agatha said and he clicked his tongue. "Who are you?"

The Doctor never answered. Clara hugged him, but refused to kiss him, as there were still traces of anchovies around his mouth.

Clara sat beside the Doctor at dinner that night, as there was a thunderstorm outside.

"A terrible day for all of us," the Doctor said. "The professor struck down, Miss Chandrakala cruelly taken from us, and yet, we still take dinner."

"We are British, Doctor," Lady Eddison said. "What else must we do?"

"And then someone tried to poison me...any one of you had the chance to put cyanide in my drink," the Doctor said. "But it rather gave me an idea."

"And what would that be?" Golightly asked.

"Well, poison," the Doctor said, and everyone, including Clara, stopped eating. "Drink up."

Clara looked at him like he was crazy.

"I've laced the soup with pepper," the Doctor said. Clara gave quiet sigh of relief.

"Ah, I thought it was jolly spicy," Hugh said.

"But the active ingredient of pepper is piperine," the Doctor said. "Traditionally used as an insecticide. Oh, anyone got the shivers?"

Thunder crashed and the lights went out. One of the windows opened and the candles all went out.

"What the deuce is that?" Clara heard Hugh ask.

"Listen! Listen! Listen! Listen!" the Doctor said, and they heard a buzzing noise. Clara took the Doctor's hand.

"No...no, it can't be!" Lady Eddison said.

"Show yourself, demon!" Agatha shouted.

"Nobody move!" the Doctor said. "No, don't! Stay where you are!"

The Vespiform showed itself and Greeves ushered Donna out of the room. The Doctor took Clara's hand and Agatha's arm.

"Out! Out! Out! Out! Out!" the Doctor said, as they ran into the hallway.

"Not you, Agatha," the Doctor said. "You've got a long life to lead yet."

He grabbed a sword from the wall display.

"Well, we know the butler didn't do it," Donna said.

"Then who did?" the Doctor asked, rushing back into the dining room, Clara behind him, literally.

"The Vespiform was gone and the lights had come back on.

"My jewelery...the Firestone—it's gone! Stolen!" Lady Eddison exclaimed.

"Roger," Davenport said sadly.

Robina screamed and Lady Eddison got up and walked around the table.

"My son...my child!" she cried.

Roger had been stabbed in the back, his face in his soup.

The Doctor led Clara to the sitting room, where Agatha was. Clara sat in an armchair, Agatha on the sofa, and the Doctor was by the fireplace when Donna joined them.

"That poor footman," Donna said. "Roger's dead and he can't even mourn him. 1926. It's more like the dark ages."

She went and sat on the sofa by Agatha.

"Did you inquire about the necklace?" Agatha asked.

"Lady Eddison brought I back from India," Donna said. "It's worth thousands."

"Which is just what the Unicorn wanted," Clara said.

"This thing can sting, it can fly...it could wipe us all out in seconds—why is it playing this game?" the Doctor asked.

"Every murder is essentially the same—they are committed because somebody wants something," Agatha said.

"What does a Vespiform want?" the Doctor asked.

"Doctor, stop it," Agatha said. "The murderer is as human as you or I."

"You're right," the Doctor said. "I've been so caught up with giant wasps, I've forgotten. You're the expert."

"Look, I told you," Agatha said. "I'm just a...purveyor of nonsense."

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, 'cause plenty of people write detective stories, but yours are the best," the Doctor said. "And why? Why are you so good, Agatha Christie? Because you understand. You've lived...you've fought...you've had your heart broken. You know about people—their passions, their hope and despair and anger, all of those. Tiny huge things can turn the most ordinary people into a killer. Just think, Agatha. If anyone can solve this, it's you."

"You're brilliant," Clara added, smiling at Agatha.

The Doctor had everyone gather in the sitting room, while the Doctor still stood in front of the fireplace.

"I've called you here on this endless night because we have a murderer in our midst," the Doctor said. "And when it comes to detection, there's none finer...Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Agatha Christie."

He went and sat down in between Clara and Donna.

"This is as crooked house...a house of secrets," Agatha said, standing where the Doctor had been by the fireplace. "To understand the solution, we must examine them all. Starting with you, Miss Redmond."

"But I'm innocent, surely," Robina said.

"You've never met these people and these people never met you," Agatha said. "I think the real Robina Redmond never left London. You're impersonating her!"

"How silly," Robina said. "What proof do you have?"

"You said you'd been to the toilet..." Agatha said.

"Oh, I know this—if she was really posh, she'd say 'loo'," Donna said.

"Earlier today, Miss Noble and I found this on the lawn..." Agatha said, holding up the tool case, "...right beneath your bathroom window. You must have heard Miss Noble and Miss Tyler were searching the bedroom and you panicked. You ran upstairs and disposed of the evidence."

"I've never seen that thing before in my life," Robina said.

"What's inside it?" Lady Eddison asked.

"The tools of the trade, Miss Redmond, or should I say...the Unicorn," Agatha said, showing the open case to everyone. "You came to this house with one sole intention—to steal the Firestone!"

"Oh, all right then," Robina said with a Cockney accent. "It's a fair cop. Yes, I'm the bleedin' Unicorn. Ever so nice to meet you, I don't think. I took my chance in the dark and nabbed it."

She reached under her dressed and produced the necklace.

"Go on, then, ya nobs, arrest me," she said. "Sling me in jail."

She threw the necklace and the Doctor caught it just before it hit Clara in the head.

"So, is she the murderer?" Donna asked.

"Don't be so thick," Robina said. "I might be a thief, but I ain't no killer."

"Quite," Agatha said. "There are darker motives at work, and, in examining this household...we come to you...Colonel."

"Damn it, woman!" Hugh said, standing. "You with your perspicacity! You've rumbled me!"

"You—you can walk?" Lady Eddison asked. "But why?"

"My darling, how else could I be certain of keeping you by my side?" Hugh asked.

"I don't understand," Lady Eddison said.

"You're still a beautiful woman, Clemency," Hugh said. "Sooner or later, some chap will turn your head. I couldn't bear that. Staying in the chair was the only way I could be certain of keeping you. Confound it, Mrs. Christie! How did you discover the truth?"

"Um, actually, I had no idea," Agatha said. "I was just going to say you were completely innocent."

"Ah...oh," Hugh said.

"Sorry," Agatha said.

"Well, shall I sit down then?" Hugh asked.

"I think you better had," Agatha said.

"So, he's not the murderer?" Donna asked.

"Indeed not," Agatha said. "To find the truth...let's return...to this—far more than the Unicorn's object of desire. The Firestone has quite a history. Lady Eddison."

"I've done nothing!" Lady Eddison said.

"You brought it back from India, did you not?" Agatha asked her. "Before you met the Colonel. You came home with malaria and confined yourself to this house for six months, in a room that has been locked ever since, which I rather think means-"

"Stop, please!" Lady Eddison said.

"I'm so sorry," Agatha said. "But you had fallen pregnant in India...unmarried and ashamed, you hurried back to England with your confidante, a young maid, later to become housekeeper, Miss Chandrakala."

"Clemency! Is this true?" Hugh asked.

"My poor baby," Lady Eddison said. "I had to give him away. Oh, the shame of it!"

"But you've never said a word!" Hugh said.

"I had no choice," Lady Eddison said. "Imagine the scandal, the family name. I'm British—I carry on."

"And it was no ordinary pregnancy," the Doctor said.

"How can you know that?" Lady Eddison asked.

"Excuse me, Agatha, this is my territory," the Doctor said. "But when you heard that buzzing sound in the dining room, you said, 'It can't be.' Why did you say that?"

"You'd never believe it," Lady Eddison said.

"The Doctor has opened my mind to believe...many things," Agatha said, sitting down again.

"It was forty years ago..." Lady Eddison said. "..in the heat of Delhi one night. I was alone and that's when I saw it—a dazzling light in the sky. The next day, he came to the house—Christopher, the most handsome man I'd ever seen. Our love blazed like a wildfire and I held nothing back. And in return, he showed me the incredible truth about himself. He made himself human to learn about us. This was his true shape. I loved him so much, it didn't matter. But he was stolen from me. 1885, the year of the Great Monsoon. The River Jumna rose up and broke its banks. He was taken at the flood. But Christopher left me a parting gift—a jewel like no other. I wore it always. Part of me never forgot. I keep it close. Always."

"Just like a man—flashes his family jewels and you end up with a bun in the oven," Robina said.

"A 'poor, little child'," Agatha said. "Forty years ago, Miss Chandrakala took that newborn babe to an orphanage. But Professor Peach worked it out. He found the birth certificate."

"Oh, that's 'maiden'-maiden name," Clara said.

"Precisely," Agatha said.

"So, she killed him," Donna said.

"I did not!" Lady Eddison said.

"Miss Chandrakala feared that the professor had unearthed your secret," Agatha said. "She was coming to warn you."

"So she killed her," Donna said and Clara shook her head.

"I did not!" Lady Eddison protested.

"Lady Eddison is innocent," Agatha said. "Because at this point...Doctor?"

"Thank you," the Doctor said, standing. "Because at this point, when we consider the lies and secrets and the key to those events, then we have to consider...it was you, Donna Noble-"

He pointed at her.

"What? Who did I kill?" Donna asked, freaking out.

"No, but you said it all along, the vital clue—that this whole thing is being acted out like a murder mystery," the Doctor said. "Which means...it was you, Agatha Christie." He pointed at her.

"I beg your pardon, sir?" Agatha asked.

"So she killed them," Donna said.

"No, but she wrote," the Doctor said. "She wrote those brilliant, clever books. And who's her greatest admirer? The moving finger points to you, Lady Eddison."

"Leave me alone!" Lady Eddison said.

"So she did kill them," Donna said.

"Donna!" Clara said, exasperated.

"No, but just think...last Thursday night, what were you doing?" the Doctor asked.

"Uh, I was, uh...I was in the library," Lady Eddison said. "I was reading my favourite Agatha Christie thinking about her plots, and how clever she must be. How is that relevant?"

"Just think—what happened Thursday night?" the Doctor asked, turning to Golightly.

"I'm sorry?" the reverend asked.

"You said on the lawn this afternoon, last Thursday, those boys broke into your church," the Doctor said.

"That's correct...they did," Golightly said. "I discovered the two of them—thieves in the night. I was most perturbed. But I apprehended them."

"Really?" the Doctor asked. "A man of God against two strong lads? A man in his forties? Or, should I say, forty years old...exactly."

"Oh, my gosh!" Lady Eddison exclaimed.

"Lady Eddison, your child—how old would he be now?" the Doctor asked.

"Forty," Lady Eddison said. "He's...forty."

"Your child has come home," the Doctor said.

"Ha! This is poppycock!" Golightly said.

"Oh? You said you were taught by the Christian fathers, meaning, raised in an orphanage," the Doctor said.

"My son!" Lady Eddison said. "Can it be?"

"You found those thieves, Reverend, and you got angry," the Doctor said. "A proper, deep anger for the first time in your life and it broke the genetic code. You changed. You realized your inheritance. After all these years...you knew who you were. Oh, then it all kicks off 'cause this isn't just a jewel—it's a Vespiform telepathic recorder. It's part of you—your brain, your very essence. And when you activated, so did the Firestone. It beamed your full identity directly into your mind. And, at the same time, it absorbed the works of Agatha Christie directly from Lady Eddison. It all became part of you. The mechanics of those novels formed a template in your brain. You killed in this pattern because that's what you think the world is. Turns out we are in the middle of a murder mystery. One of yours, Dame Agatha."

The Doctor sat down on the arm of the sofa, right were Clara was.

"'Dame'?" Agatha asked.

"Oh, sorry, not yet," the Doctor said.

"So, he killed them?" Donna asked "Yes? Definitely?"

"Yes," the Doctor said.

"Well, this has certainly been a most entertaining evening," Golightly said. "Really, you can't believe any of this, surely, Lady Eddizzz-"

"Lady who?" the Doctor asked.

"Lady Eddizzzon..." Golightly struggled.

"Little bit of buzzing there, Vicar?" the Doctor asked.

"Don't make me angry," Golightly said, standing.

"Why? What happens then?" the Doctor said.

"Damn it!" Golightly exclaimed. "You humanzzz! Worshiping your tribal sky godzzz! I am so much more! That night, the universe exploded in my mind! I wanted to take what wazz mine. And you, Agatha Christie, with your railway station bookstall romnacezz—What'zzz to stop me killing you?"

"Oh, my goodness! My child!" Lady Eddison said, reaching out to him.

"What'zzz to stop me killing you all?" Golightly asked.

"Forgive me!" Lady Eddison said.

"No, Clemency!" Hugh said, as he and Greeves pulled Lady Eddison to the door. "Keep away! Keep away, my darling!"

"No!" Agatha cried, holding up the Firestone. "No more murder! If my imagination made you kill, then my imagination will find a way to stop you, foul creature!"

She then dashed out of the room, the Doctor, Clara, and Donna following, as well as the Vespiform.

"Wait! Now it's chasing us!" Donna said.

"Then keep running!" Clara said.

The three of them ran outside and shut the doors behind them. Agatha drove past them in her car, and honked the horn. The Doctor, Donna, and Clara ran to the car.

"Come on!" the Doctor said.

The Vespiform broke through the front door.

"Over here!" Agatha shouted. "Come and get me, Reverend!"

"Agatha, what are you doing?" the Doctor asked.

"If I started this, Doctor, then I must stop it!" Agatha said, driving off.

The Doctor ran to another car and shouted, "Come on!"

The Vespiform followed after Agatha. Clara vaulted over the edge of the car into the back seat, while Donna climbed into the passenger seat while the Doctor climbed into the drivers seat.

"You said this is the night Agatha Christie looses her memory," Donna said.

"Time is in flux, Donna!" the Doctor said. "For all we know, this is the night Agatha Christie looses her life and history gets changed!"

"But where is she going?!" Donna asked.

They drove past a sign that said 'Silent Pool.'

"The lake!" the Doctor exclaimed. "She's heading for the lake! What's she doing?"

Agatha was getting out of her car, just as the Doctor, Donna, and Clara pulled up.

Agatha held up the Firestone and said, "Here I am! The honey in the trap. Come to me, Vespiform."

"She's controlling it," Donna said.

"Its mind is based on her thought process," the Doctor said, getting out of the car. "They're linked."

"Quite so, Doctor," Agatha said. "If I die, then this creature might die with me."

"Don't hurt her!" the Doctor shouted at the Vespiform. "You're not meant to be like this. You've got the wrong template in your mind."

"He's not listening," Donna said, taking the Firestone from Agatha and tossed it into the lake. The Vespiform dove into the water after it and the water bubbled and turned purple.

"It's dead," Clara said sadly.

"How do you kill a wasp? Drown it," Donna said. "Just like its father."

"Donna, that thing couldn't help itself," the Doctor said.

"Neither could I," Donna said.

"Death comes at the end," Agatha said. "And justice is served."

"Murder at the vicar's rage," the Doctor said, and both Clara and Donna rolled their eyes. "Needs a bit of work."

"Just one mystery left, Doctor," Agatha said. "Who exactly are you?"

The Doctor didn't need to answer, as Agatha doubled over in pain. The Doctor slowly lowered her to the ground.

"Oh! It's the Firestone!" the Doctor exclaimed. "It's part of the Vespiform's mind! It's dying and it's connected to Agatha!"

Agatha glowed purple and the light soon faded and she fell unconscious.

"It let her go," the Doctor said. "Right at the end, the Vespiform chose to save someone's life."

"Is she all right, though?" Donna asked.

"Oh, of course!" the Doctor said. "The amnesia! Wiped her mind of everything that happened. The wasp, the murders..."

"And us," Donna said. "She'll forget about us."

"And all your copyrights," Clara said, smiling.

"Yeah, but we solved another riddle—the mystery of Agatha Christie," the Doctor said. "And tomorrow morning, her car gets found by the side of the lake. A few days later, she turns up at a hotel in Harrogate...with no idea of what just happened."

The three of them used the TARDIS to land outside the hotel where Agatha was found.

"No one'll ever know," the Doctor said.

"Lady Eddison, the colonel, and all the staff—what about them?" Donna asked.

"A shameful story," the Doctor said. "They'd never talk of it—too British. While the Unicorn does a bunk back to London Town, she can never say she was there."

"But what happens to Agatha?" Donna asked.

"Oh, great life!" the Doctor said. "Met another man, married again. Saw the world. Wrote and wrote and wrote."

"Good for her," Clara said. "She deserves happiness."

"She never thought her books were any good, though," Donna said. "And she must have spent all those years wondering."

Clara followed the Doctor and Donna back into the TARDIS and sat on the pilot seat.

"Thing is, I don't think she ever quite forgot," the Doctor said. "Great mind like that, some of the details kept bleeding through. All the stuff her imagination could use. Like Miss Marple!"

"I love Miss Marple," Clara said.

"I should have made her sign a contract," Donna said.

"Oh, poor Donna," Clara said, grinning.

"And—where is it?" the Doctor said, lifting up a section of the TARDIS floor and pulled out a chest. "Hold on...here we go. 'C.' That is 'C' for Cyberman."

Clara watched as he threw away a Cyberman chest plate.

"'C' for Carrionites. And...Christie, Agatha. Look at that."

He held up a copy of Death in the Clouds that had a large wasp on the cover.

"She did remember," Donna said.

"Somewhere at the back of her mind, it all lingered," the Doctor said. "And that's not all. Look at the copyright page."

"'Facsimile edition published in the year...5 billion'?!" Donna said, reading the inside of the book.

"People never stop reading them," the Doctor said. "She is the best-selling novelist of all time."

"And brilliant," Clara said.

"But she never knew," Donna said, sighing.

"Well, no one knows how they're gonna be remembered," the Doctor said. "We can only hope for the best. Maybe that's what kept her writing. The same thing that keeps me traveling. Onwards?"

"Onwards," Donna said.

"Onwards through time and space," Clara said, smiling, as the Doctor dematerialized the TARDIS.


	52. Midnight

**Midnight**

"Come on, Doctor! It's going to leave!" Clara said, tugging on his jacket.

"Hold on, I'm just gonna call Donna really quick," the Doctor said, standing by a public phone.

Clara could only imagine what Donna was saying as she answered the phone. She had made it really clear that she wanted a spa day, not to go with the Doctor and Clara.

"Sapphire waterfall—it's a waterfall made of sapphires!" the Doctor said. "This enormous jewel, size of a glacier, reaches the Cliffs of Oblivion, and then shatters into sapphires at the edge—they fall 100,000 feet into a crystal ravine."

Clara put her head near the Doctor's so she could hear what Donna was saying.

"I bet you say that to all the girls," Donna said.

"Oi!" Clara said into the phone.

"Oh, come on!" the Doctor said. "They're boarding now! It's no fun if Clara and I see it on our own. Four hours, that's all it takes."

"No, that's four hours there and four hours back, it's like a school trip," Donna said. "I'd rather go sunbathing."

"Your loss, then," Clara said.

"You be careful, that's Xtonic sunlight," the Doctor said to Donna.

"Oh, I'm safe," Donna said. "It says in the brochure this glass is fifteen feet thick."

"All right, I give up," the Doctor said. "We'll be back for dinner, we'll try that anti-gravity restaurant. With bibs."

"That's a date," Donna said. "Well, not a date. Oh, you know what I mean. Oh, get off!"

"Have fun, then," Clara said.

"See you later," the Doctor told Donna.

"Oi! You two be careful, all right?" Donna said.

"Nah," the Doctor said. "Taking a big space truck with a bunch of strangers across a diamond planet called Midnight—what could possibly go wrong?"

"Oi! Don't jinx it!" Clara exclaimed, hitting the Doctor on the arm as he hung up the phone.

Clara gripped the armrest on the shuttle, sitting next to the Doctor.

"Oh, I've always hated planes," Clara groaned. "All the stupid turbulence and shaking."

"Oh, it'll be fine," the Doctor said. "I'm right here."

"I guess you're right," Clara sighed.

The hostess came round to the Doctor and Clara and started to hand them things.

"That's the headphones for Channels 1 to 36; modem link for 3D video games; complimentary earplugs; complimentary slippers; complimentary juice packs; and complimentary peanuts. I must warn you, some products may contain nuts," the hostess said.

"That'll be the peanuts," the Doctor said.

"Enjoy your trip," the hostess said to them.

"Oh, we can't wait!" the Doctor said. "Allons-y!"

"I'm sorry?" the hostess asked.

"It's French, for let's go," the Doctor told her.

"Fascinating," the hostess said, moving to the row behind the Doctor and Clara. Clara wondered what to do with all of the stuff the hostess had handed her. She decided to stick it in the Doctor's coat pocket, which was bigger on the inside.

"Headphones for channels 1-36..." the hostess was saying to the people behind them.

"Oh, no, thank you, not for us!" said the older man.

"Earplugs, please," said the young woman.

"There you go," the hostess said.

"They call it a sapphire waterfall, but it's not such thing, sapphire's an aluminium, oxide, but the glacier is just a compound silica with iron pigmentation!" the older man said. "Have you got that pillow for my neck?"

"Yes, sir," said the young woman.

"And the pills?" he asked.

"Yes, all measure out for you, there you go," the woman said.

The Doctor turned and looked over the seat at the people behind them.

"Hobbes! Professor Winfold Hobbes!" the older man introduced himself.

"I'm the Doctor and this is Clara, hello!" the Doctor said.

Clara reached over the back of the seat to shake hands with the professor.

"It's my 14th time!" Professor Hobbs said.

"Oh! Our first," the Doctor said.

"And I'm Dee Dee, Dee Dee Blasco," the young woman said, also shaking the Doctor's and Clara's hands.

"Now, don't bother the man and woman!" Professor Hobbes said. "Where's my water bottle?"

"Ladies and gentlemen and variations thereupon, welcome on board the Crusader 50, if you would fasten your seatbelts, we'll be leaving any moment. Door!" the hostess said at the front of the shuttle.

Clara gladly fastened her seatbelt as the doors sealed automatically.

"Shields down!" the hostess said, as the windows were blocked by shields. "I'm afraid the view is shielded until we reach the Waterfall Palace. Also, a reminder, Midnight has no air, so please don't touch the exterior door seals. Fire exit at the rear, and should we need to use it...you first."

"Really?" Clara said, as the hostess laughed at her ridiculous joke.

"Now, I will hand you over to Driver Joe," the hostess said.

"Driver Joe at the wheel!" said a man over the intercom. "There's been a diamondfall at the Winter Witch Canyon, so we'll be taking a slight detour, as you'll see on the map. The journey covers 500 kliks to the Multifaceted Coast, duration is estimated at four hours. Thank you for traveling with us, and as they used to say in the olden days, wagons roll!"

Clara gripped the Doctor's arm as the engines started and the shuttle started move.

"For your entertainment, we have the Music Channel playing retrovids of Earth Classics," the hostess said, as she pressed a button and screens appeared with showed Raffaello Cara. "Also, the latest installation from Ludovico Klein. Plus, for the youngsters, a rare treat—the Animation Archives."

She turned on a projector that showed black and white cartoons.

"Four hours of funtime! Enjoy!" the hostess said.

"Oh, turn it off," Clara groaned, rubbing her temples. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and stopped the music, art holograms, and the cartoons. "Thanks, dear."

"Well, that's a mercy!" Professor Hobbs said.

"I do apologize, ladies and gentlemen, and variations thereupon," the hostess said. "We seem to have had a failure of the Entertainment System..."

"Ooh," the Doctor, pretending to be upset about it.

"But what do we do?!" asked a woman sitting behind them.

"We've got four hours of this!" said the man sitting next to her. "Four hours of just...sitting here?"

"Tell you what!" the Doctor said. "We'll have to talk to each other instead!"

Clara rolled her eyes as the Doctor grinned.

**98 KILKS LATER...**

The Doctor had pulled Clara over to the couple who had introduced themselves as Biff and Val, and their son, Jethro, who was sitting separate from them.

"So Biff said, 'I'm going swimming'," Val said.

"Oh, I was all ready, trunks and everything!" Biff said. "Nose plug!"

"We had this little nose plug, you should've seen him," Val said.

"And I went marching up to the lifeguard, and he was a Shamboni, you know, those big foreheads?" Biff said.

"Great big forehead!" Val said.

"And I said, where's the pool?" Biff said. "And he said..."

"'The pool is abstract'!" Biff and Val both said.

"It was a concept!" Biff said.

"And you wore a nose plug!" the Doctor said.

"I was like this!" Biff said, pinching his nose and still talking. "Mmm...where's the pool?"

Clara just smiled, not really caring for the joke. She would rather be passed out during the flight. It was nothing like the TARDIS at all. This shuttle was way too much like a plane.

**150 KLIKS LATER...**

Clara was trying to relax, headphones in, listening to music that was from her time on Earth. The Doctor was off, talking to Dee Dee, which was fine by her. She really wished that they gave away complimentary sleeping pills or something.

**251 KLIKS LATER...**

Clara was finally able to doze off, when the good professor decided to do a presentation on the planet Midnight. She figured she might as well have something to take her mind off of the shuttle, so she took out her headphones to pay attention.

"So, this is Midnight, d'you see?" the Professor asked, as the room was darkened and he had a slide show going. "Bombarded by the sun! Xtonic rays, raw galvanic radiation. Dee Dee, next slide! It's my pet project. Actually, I'm the first person to research this. Because you see...the history is fascinating, because there is no history. There's no life in this entire system, there couldn't be. Before the Leisure Palace Company moved in, no one had come here in all eternity. No living thing."

"But how d'you know?" Jethro asked. "I mean, if no one can go outside..."

"Oh, his imagination!" Val said. "Here we go!"

"He's got a point, though," the Doctor said, by Clara again.

"Exactly!" Professor Hobbs said. "We look upon this world through glass. Safe inside our metal box. Even the Leisure Palace was lowered down from orbit. And here we are now, crossing Midnight, but never touching it."

Clara was comforted and glad when the engines went silent and stopped their slight shaking.

"We've stopped," Val said. "Have we stopped?"

"Are we there?" Biff asked.

"We can't be, it's too soon," Dee Dee said.

"They don't stop, Crusader vehicles never stop," Professor Hobbs said.

"If you could just...return to your seats, it's...just a small delay," the hostess said, as she went to talk to the drivers.

"Maybe just a pit stop," Biff said.

"What's going on?" the hostess asked the driver over the intercom.

"Oh, when the human race panics," Clara muttered, also slightly worried, but not freaking out like everyone else.

"There's no pit to stop in, I've been on this expedition 14 times, they never stop," Professor Hobbes said.

"Well, evidently, we have stopped, so there's not point in denying it," the woman across from the Doctor and Clara said.

"We've broken down!" Jethro said, laughing.

"Thank, Jethro," Val said.

"In the middle of nowhere!" Jethro said.

"That's enough, now stop it!" Biff said.

"Ladies and gentlemen and variations thereupon, we're just experiencing a short...delay, the driver needs to stabilize the engine feeds," the hostess said. "It's perfectly routine, so if you could just stay in your seats..."

The Doctor took Clara's hand and pulled her up to the driver's cabin.

"No, I'm sorry, sir, ma'am, I...could you please..." the hostess said.

"There you go, engine experts!" the Doctor said, holding up the psychic paper. "Two ticks!"

He opened the door and Clara followed him into the cockpit.

"Sorry, sir, ma'am, if you could just sit down!" the hostess said. "You're not supposed to be in there..."

The door closed behind the Doctor and Clara, cutting her off.

"Sorry, if you could both return to your seats, sir, ma'am..." Driver Joe said.

"Company insurance, let's see if we can get an early assessment," the Doctor said. "So, what's the problem, Driver Joe?"

"We're stabilizing the engine feeds, won't take long," Driver Joe said.

"Um, no, 'cos that's the engine feed, that light there, and it's fine, and it's a micropetrol engine, so stabilizing doesn't really make sense, does it?" the Doctor said. "Sorry! I'm the Doctor, I'm very clever, and this is Clara, also clever. So, what's wrong?"

"We just stopped, look, all systems fine and everything's working, but we're not moving," the other man in the cabin said.

"Yeah, you're right," the Doctor said, using his sonic. "No faults. And who are you?"

"Claude, I'm the mechanic," the man said. "Trainee."

"Nice to meet you," the Doctor said.

"I've sent a distress signal," Driver Joe said. "They should dispatch a rescue truck, top speed."

"How long till they get here?" the Doctor asked.

"About an hour," Driver Joe said.

"Well, since we're waiting...shall we take a look outside? Just...lift the screens a bit?" the Doctor said.

"Um, is that a good idea, Doctor?" Clara wondered.

"It's 100 percent Xtonic out there, we'd be vaporized," Driver Joe said.

"No, those windows are Finitoglass, they'd give you a couple of minutes. Go on! Live a little!" the Doctor said.

Driver Joe pressed a button and the shields raised.

"Wow," Clara said softly, looking out at the landscape.

"Ooh, that is beautiful..." the Doctor said.

"Very," Clara said, eyes wide. There were tall columns of diamonds outside that no one would ever see.

"Look at all those diamonds!" Claude said. "Poisoned by the sun. No one can ever touch them."

"Joe, you said we took a detour?" the Doctor asked.

"Just about 40 kliks to the west," Joe said.

"Is that a recognized path?" the Doctor asked.

"No, it's a new one, the computer worked it out, on automatic," Joe said.

"So, we're the first?" the Doctor said. "This piece of ground. No one's ever been here before. Not in the whole of recorded history."

"Did you just...?" Claude asked. "No, sorry, it's...nothing."

"What did you see?" the Doctor asked.

"Just there," Claude said, pointing. "That ridge. Like...like a shadow. Just, just for a second."

"What sort of shadow?" the Doctor asked.

"Hopefully not the Vashta Nerada," Clara said, as the alarms suddenly sounded.

"Xtonic rising!" Joe said. "Shields down."

"Look, look, there it is, there it is, look there!" Claude said.

"Where?! What was it?" the Doctor asked, as Clara looked around outside, but couldn't see anything.

"Like, just, something...shifting, something sort of...dark," Claude said. "Like it was...running."

"Running which way?" the Doctor asked.

"Towards us..." Claude said.

"Right, Doctor, Clara, back to your seats and not a word, rescue's on its way," Joe said. "If you could close the door, thank you."

As soon as they were back with the other passengers, they were bombarded with questions.

"What did they say?" Sky asked them. "Did they tell you? What is it, what's wrong?"

"Oh, just stabilizing, happens all the time," the Doctor said.

"Perfectly normal," Clara said, flopping back into her seat.

"I don't need this," Sky said. "I'm on a schedule. This is completely unnecessary!"

"Back to your seats, thank you," the hostess said.

The Doctor took his seat next to Clara.

"Excuse me, Doctor, but they're micropetrol engines, aren't they?" Dee Dee asked in a low voice, leaning around the seat.

"Now, don't bother the man," Hobbes said.

"My father was a mechanic," Dee Dee said. "Micropetrol doesn't stabilize, what does 'stabilize' mean?"

"Well, bit of flim-flam," the Doctor said. "Don't worry, they're sorting it out."

"So, it's not the engines?" Hobbes asked.

"It's just a little pause, that's all," the Doctor said.

"Everything is fine and normal," Clara said.

"How much air have we got?" Hobbes asked.

"Professor, it's fine," Dee Dee said.

"What did he say?" Val asked.

"Nothing!" the Doctor said.

"Are we running out of air?" Val asked.

"I was just speculating..." Hobbes said, as the hostess returned from the cockpit.

"Is that right, miss?" Biff asked. "Are we running out of air?"

"Is that what the Captain said?" Val asked.

"If you could all just remain calm..." the hostess said.

"How much air have we got?" Val asked.

"Mum, just stop it," Jethro said.

"I assure you, everything is under control," the hostess said.

"Well, doesn't look like it to me!" Biff said.

Clara rubbed her temples, wishing she had just stayed behind with Donna, like she had wanted to in the first place. The Doctor was the one that had talked her into coming.

"Well, he said, it," Val said.

"...it's fine, the air is on a circular filter..." Dee Dee was trying to tell everyone.

"...he started it..." Val said.

Everyone started to talk at once, panicking. Clara groaned, wishing everyone would just shut up.

"Everyone..." the Doctor said, standing up. "Shh, shh, shh...QUIET!"

Everyone fell silent.

"Finally," Clara said.

"Thank you," the Doctor said. "Now, if you'd care to listen to my good friend, Dee Dee..."

"Oh!" Dee Dee said. "Um...it's just that...well, the air's on a circular filter, so...we could stay breathing for ten years."

"There you go!" the Doctor said. "And I've spoken to the Captain, I can guarantee you, everything's fine."

"What was that?" Val asked, as they all heard two loud knocks coming from outside the shuttle.

"It must be the metal," Hobbes said. "We're cooling down, it's just settling..."

"Rocks," Dee Dee said. "Could be rocks falling."

"What I want to know is, how long do we have to sit here," Biff said.

"Only about an hour," Clara said, fed up with these panicking people.

There were two more knocks coming from a different part of the shuttle.

"What is that?" Sky asked.

"Is someone out there?" Val asked.

"Now, don't be ridiculous," Hobbes said.

"Like I said, it could be rocks," Dee Dee said.

"We're out in the open," the hostess said. "Nothing could fall against the sides."

There were another two knocks on the wall.

"Knock, knock," the Doctor said.

"Who's there?" Jethro asked.

"Is there something out there?" Sky asked. "Well? Anyone?"

There was more knocking.

"What the hell is making that noise?" Sky asked.

"It's probably nothing," Clara said, trying to reassure the woman.

"I'm sorry, but the light out there is Xtonic, that means it would destroy any living thing in a split-second," Hobbes said. "It is impossible for someone to be outside."

Another two knocks.

"Well, what the hell is that, then?!" Sky asked.

The Doctor went to the wall where the knocking was coming from and used his stethoscope to listen through the wall.

"Sir!" the hostess said. "You really should get back to your seat."

"Oh, leave him alone," Clara said.

"Hello?" the Doctor said.

The knocking moved to the fire exit at the rear.

"It's moving..." Jethro said.

The door started rattling, like someone was trying to get into the shuttle.

"It's trying the door!" Val said.

"There is no 'it,' there's nothing out there," Hobbes said. "Can't be."

Whatever it was, tried the door again before it went around—always knocking twice—from the roof to the side door.

"That's the entrance," Val said. "Can in get in?"

"No, that door's on two hundred weight of hydraulics," Dee Dee said.

"Stop it," Hobbes said. "Don't encourage them."

"What do you think it is?" Dee Dee asked, as Biff went to the door.

"Biff, don't..." Val said.

"Mr. Cane, better not..." the Doctor said.

"Nah, it's cast iron, that door..." Biff said.

Biff knocked on the door three times and whatever was outside repeated it.

"Three times!" Val panicked. "Did you hear that, it did it three times!?"

"It answered!" Jethro said.

"It did it three times!" Val said.

Clara knew that there was something outside that probably wasn't good, but refused to panic like everyone else was. Besides the Doctor, of course.

"All right, all right, all right, everyone, calm down," the Doctor said.

"And please shut up," Clara said, feeling a headache coming on.

"No, but it answered, it...answered, don't tell me that thing's not alive, it answered him!" Sky said and there were three knocks again.

"I really must insist you get back to your seats!" the hostess said.

"You heard the woman!" Clara said.

"No!" Sky said. "Don't just stand there telling us the rules! You're the hostess, you're supposed to do something!"

The Doctor went to the door and knocked four times. There was a pause, and then it repeated.

"What is it, what the hell's making that noise?" Sky asked, in total panic now. "She said she'd get me. Stop it, make it stop, somebody make it stop! Don't just stand there looking at me, it's not my fault, he started it with his stories..."

"Calm down!" Dee Dee said.

"...and he made it worse..." Sky said.

Clara moved to the seat next to Sky and took her hands.

"You need to calm down," Clara said. "Deep breaths, that's it."

"You're not helping!" Val shouted, which set Sky off again.

"...why couldn't you leave it alone?" Sky said. "Stop staring at me! Just tell me what the hell it is!"

"Thanks a lot, you idiot!" Clara shouted at Val.

"Calm down!" Dee Dee said.

The knocking became continuous. In total panic, Sky jerked her hands from Clara and started backing to the cockpit door.

"Calm down!" Clara told her, standing in front of her, palms facing outwards.

"It's coming for me, ooh, it's coming for me, it's coming for me...It's coming for me! It's coming for me!" Sky yelled.

She screamed and the Doctor moved towards her, pulling Clara back slightly.

"Get out of there!" the Doctor told Sky.

The whole shuttle violently shook then, throwing everyone to the floor, as the lights went out. Clara landed on the Doctor, but hit her shin on one of the seats. The shuttle stopped moving and she groaned.

"All right? Okay," Biff said, holding his wife.

The Doctor sat Clara up, then sat up himself.

"Argh...arms, legs, neck, head, nose," he said, checking everything. "I'm fine. Clara?"

"Fine, just hit my shin is all," she said.

"Everyone else?" the Doctor asked. "How are we, everyone all right?"

"Earthquake, must be..." Hobbes said.

"But that's impossible, the ground is fixed, it's solid," Dee Dee said.

"We've got torches, everyone, take a torch, they're in the back of the seats," the hostess said.

Clara took one and surveyed the damage of the shuttle.

"Oh, Jethro, sweetheart, come here..." Val said.

"Never mind me, what about her?" Jethro asked, pointing his torch at Sky.

She was sitting completely motionless at the front of the shuttle, her back to them.

"What happened to the seats?" Val asked.

"Who did that?" Biff asked.

"They've been ripped up," Val said.

"It's all right, it's all right, it's all right, it's over," the Doctor said in a soothing voice to Sky. "We're still alive...look, the wall's still intact. D'you see?"

He pointed his torch to the wall in front of Sky. There was a slight dent in it, but it wasn't broken in any way.

"Joe, Claude?" the hostess said, trying to reach them on the intercom.

"We're safe," the Doctor said to Sky.

"Driver Joe, can you hear me?" the hostess asked. "I'm not getting any response, the intercom must be down."

She opened the cockpit door and there was a bright light. Clara threw her arm over her eyes, trying to block out the light.

"What happened?" Val asked. "What was that?"

"Is it the driver?" Biff asked. "Have we lost the driver?"

"The cabin's gone," the hostess said.

"Don't be ridiculous," Hobbes said. "It can't be gone, how can it be gone?"

"Well, but you saw it!" Dee Dee said.

"There was nothing there, like it was ripped away," the hostess said.

The Doctor started fiddling with the panel on the front wall with his sonic screwdriver.

"What are you doing?" Biff asked, pointing his torch at the Doctor.

"That's better, bit of light, thank you." the Doctor said. "Molto bene!"

"D'you know what you're doing?" Val asked.

"The cabin's gone, you'd better leave that wall alone," Biff said.

"Oh, shut it!" Clara said, crouching by the Doctor and pointing her torch at the panel for him. "And this is why I mostly don't like planes," she said, talking about the panic.

"The cabin can't be gone!" Hobbes said.

"No, it's safe, any rupture would automatically seal itself..." the Doctor said, taking off the panel. "But something sliced it off. You're right. The cabin's gone."

"But if it gets separated..." the hostess said.

"It loses integrity," the Doctor said. "I'm sorry, they've been reduced to dust. The driver and the mechanic. But they sent a distress signal. Help is on its way. They saved our lives! We're gonna get out of here, I promise. We're still alive, and they're gonna find us."

"Doctor, look at her," Jethro said, watching Sky, who was still in the same position.

"Right, yes, sorry...have we got a medical kit?" the Doctor asked.

"Why won't she turn around?" Jethro asked.

"Maybe because she doesn't want to," Clara said.

"What's her name?" the Doctor asked.

"Silvestry," the hostess said. "Mrs. Sky Silvestry."

"Sky?" the Doctor asked. "Can you hear me? Are you all right? Can you move, Sky? Just look at me."

He crouched down next to Sky.

"That noise, from the outside..." Jethro said.

"What of it?" Val asked.

"It's stopped," Jethro said.

"Well, thank goodness for that," Val said.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want more panicked idiots on our hands," Clara commented.

"But what if it's not outside anymore?" Jethro asked and Clara groaned. "What if it's inside?"

"Inside? Where?" Val asked.

"It was heading for her," Jethro said, looking at Sky.

"Alright, that's enough," Clara said. "Everyone just be quiet."

"Sky...it's all right, Sky," the Doctor said. "I just want you to turn around, face me."

Slowly, Sky turned around and stared at the Doctor with wide, wild eyes.

"Sky?" the Doctor asked.

"Sky?" Sky asked slowly.

"Are you all right?" the Doctor asked.

"Are you all right?" Sky repeated.

"Are you hurt?" the Doctor asked.

"Are you hurt?"

"You don't have to talk," the Doctor said.

"You don't have to talk."

"I'm trying to help," the Doctor said.

"I'm trying to help."

"My name's the Doctor," he said.

"My name's the Doctor."

"Okay, can you stop?" the Doctor asked.

"Okay, can you stop?"

"I'd like you to stop," the Doctor said.

"I'd like you to stop."

"Why's she doing that?" Hobbes asked

"Why's she doing that?" Sky asked, turning towards him.

"She's gone mad," Biff said.

"She's gone mad," Sky repeated.

"Stop it," Val said.

"Stop it."

"I said stop it!" Val said.

"I said stop it!"

"I don't think she can," Dee Dee said.

"I don't think she can."

"All right, now stop it, this isn't funny," Hobbes said.

"All right, now stop it, this isn't funny."

"Sh, sh, sh, all of you," the Doctor said.

"Sh, sh, sh, all of you."

"My name's Jethro!" Jethro said, looking amused.

"My name's Jethro!"

"Jethro, leave it, just shut up!" the Doctor said.

"Jethro, leave it, just shut up!"

"Why are you repeating?" the Doctor asked.

"Why are you repeating?"

"What is that, learning?" the Doctor asked.

"What is that, learning?"

"Copying?" the Doctor asked.

"Copying?"

"Absorbing?" the Doctor said.

"Absorbing?"

"The square root of pi is 1.77245385090551602729816748..." the Doctor said.

"The square root of pi is 1.77245385090551602729816748..."

"...3341. Wow!" the Doctor said.

"...3341. Wow!"

"But that's impossible," Hobbes said.

"But that's impossible."

"She couldn't repeat all that," Dee Dee said

"She couldn't repeat all that."

"Obviously she did," Clara said.

"Obviously she did."

"Tell her to stop!" Val said.

"Tell her to stop!"

"She's driving me mad," Val said.

"She's driving me mad."

"Just make her stop!" Val said.

"Just make her stop!"

"Then shut it!" Clara shouted.

"Then shut it!"

It was no use. Everyone started talking at once, but Sky still repeated every single word anyone said.

"Now, just stop it, all of you," the Doctor tried saying.

"Now, just stop it, all of you."

Clara clamped her hands over her ears, wishing everyone would just shut up. She was saved when there was a high-pitched noise as the lights came back on and everyone stopped talking.

"Well then, that's the back-up system," the hostess said.

"Well! That's a bit better," Biff said.

"What about the rescue, how long's it gonna take?" Val asked.

"About 60 minutes, that's all," the hostess said.

"Then I suggest we all calm down," Hobbes said. "This panic isn't helping. That poor woman is evidently in a state of..."

"...self-induced hysteria, we should leave her alone," both Hobbes and Sky said together.

"Doctor..." Jethro said.

"I know," the Doctor said.

Sky was no longer repeating anything anyone said, but was talking exactly with them, instead.

"Doctor, now step back, I think you should leaver her...alone," Hobbes and Sky said. "What's she doing?"

"How can she do that?" Val and Sky said. "She's talking with you...and with me! Oh, my gosh! Biff, what's she doing?"

"She's repeating...at exactly the same time," Jethro and Sky said.

"That's impossible," Dee Dee and Sky said.

"There's not even a delay," Hobbes and Sky said.

"Ohh, man, that is weird," Jethro and Sky said.

"I think you should all be very, very quiet, have you got that?" the Doctor and Sky asked.

"Meaning shut it," Clara and Sky both said.

"How's she doing it?" Val and Sky asked.

"Mrs. Cane, please, be quite," the Doctor and Sky said.

"But how can she do that?" Val and Sky asked. "She's got my voice, she's got my words!"

"Sweetheart, be quiet, just...hush now," Biff and Sky said. "Hush. She's doing it to me!"

"Just stop it, all of you," the Doctor and Sky said. The Doctor crouched down next to Sky. "Stop it. Please. Now then, Sky. Are you Sky? Is Sky still in there? Mrs. Silvestry? You know exactly what I'm going to say, how are you doing that? Roast beef! Bananas! The Medusa Cascade. Bang! Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, Donna Noble, Clara Tyler, TARDIS! Shamble bobble dibble dooble. Oh, Doctor, you're so handsome. Yes, I am, thank you. A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O..."

The Doctor stood up.

"First, she repeats," the Doctor and Sky said. "Then, she catches up. What's the next stage?"

"Next stage of what?" Dee Dee and Sky asked.

"But that's not her, is it?" Jethro and Sky asked. "That's not Mrs. Silvestry any more."

"I don't think so, no," the Doctor and Sky said. "I think...the more we talk, the more she learns. Now, I'm all for education, but in this case...maybe not. Let's just...move back. Come on. Come with me. Everyone, get back, all of you, as far as you can."

Clara moved back with everyone else to the galley.

"Doctor, make her stop," Val and Sky said.

Clara noticed that Sky was still repeating every though she was out of hearing range.

"Val, come on, come to the back, stop looking at her, come on, Jethro, you, too," the Doctor and Sky said. "Everyone, come on...50 minutes. That's all we need. 50 minutes till the rescue arrives. And she's not exactly strong, look at her, all she's got is our voices."

"I can't look at her," Val and Sky said. "It's those eyes."

"Then don't!" Clara and Sky snapped at her.

"'We must not look at goblin men'," Dee Dee and Sky quoted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Biff and Sky asked, as everyone was confused.

"It's a poem," the Doctor and Sky said. "Christina Rossetti."

"'We must not look at goblin men, We must not buy their fruits, Who knows upon what soil they fed, Their hungry, thirsty roots?'" Dee Dee and Sky said.

"Actually, I don't think that's helping," the Doctor and Sky said.

"She's not a goblin, or a monster, she's just a very sick woman," Hobbes and Sky said.

"Maybe that's why it went for her," Jethro and Sky said.

"There is no 'it'!" Hobbes and Sky said.

"Think about it, though," Jethro and Sky said. "That knocking, it went all the way round the bus until it found her. And she was the most scared, out of all of us. Maybe that's what it needed. That's how it got in."

"For the last time!" Hobbes and Sky exclaimed. "Nothing can live on the surface of Midnight."

"Oh, will you all just keep it together and shut it!?" Clara and Sky said, going mad from the panic.

"Professor, I'm glad you've got an absolute definition of life in the universe, but perhaps the universe has got ideas of its own, hmm?" the Doctor and Sky asked. The Doctor put his arm around Clara's waist. "Now, trust me, I've got previous! I think there might well be some...consciousness inside Mrs. Silvestry, but maybe she's still in there. And it's our job to help her."

"Well, you can help her, I'm not going near," Biff and Sky said.

"No, I've got to stay back," the Doctor and Sky said. "If she's copying us, maybe the final stage is becoming us. I don't want her becoming me, or things could get a lot worse."

"Oh, like you're so special," Val and Sky said and Clara glared at her.

"As it happens, yes I am," the Doctor and Sky said. "So, that's decided. We stay back, and we wait. When the rescue ship comes, we can get her to the hospital."

"We should throw her out," the hostess and Sky said.

"I beg your pardon?" Hobbes and Sky asked.

"Can we do that?" Val and Sky asked.

"Don't be ridiculous," the Doctor and Sky said.

"Absolutely not," Clara and Sky said, determined not to let it happen.

"That thing, whatever it is, killed the driver, and the mechanic, and I don't think she's finished yet," the hostess and Sky said.

"She can't even move!" the Doctor and Sky said.

"Look at her, look at her eyes!" the Hostess and Sky said. "She killed Joe, and she killed Claude, and we're next."

"She's still doing it," Biff and Sky said, as he approached the woman. "Just stop it! Stop talking! Stop it!"

"Biff, don't, sweetheart!" Val and Sky said.

"But she won't stop!" Biff and Sky said, walking back over to the group. "We can't throw her out, though, we can't even open the doors."

"No one is getting thrown out!" the Doctor and Sky said.

"Yes, we can," Dee Dee and Sky said. "'Cos there's an air pressure seal. Like when you opened the cabin door, you weren't pulled out, you had a couple of seconds, 'cos it takes the pressure-wall about six seconds to collapse. Well, six seconds, exactly. That's enough time to throw someone out."

"Thanks, Dee Dee, just what we needed," the Doctor and Sky said sarcastically.

"Would it kill her, outside?" Val and Sky asked.

"I don't know, but she's got a body now, it would certainly kill the physical form," Dee Dee and Sky said.

"No one is killing anyone!" the Doctor and Sky said, but nobody listened to her.

"I wouldn't risk the cabin door twice, but we've got that one," the Hostess and Sky said, pointing to the fire exit behind them. "All we need to do is grab hold of her and throw her out."

"Now, listen, all of you," the Doctor and Sky said. "For all we know, that's a brand new life form over there. And if it's come inside to discover us, then what's it found? This little bunch of humans, what d'you amount to? A murder? 'Cos this is where you decide. You decide who you are. Could you actually murder her? Any of you? Really? Or are you better than that?"

"I'd do it," the hostess and Sky said after a moment.

"So would I," Biff and Sky said.

"And me," Val and Sky said.

"Oh, are you idiots not listening?!" Clara and Sky burst out. Clara was completely fed up with these people.

"I think we should," Dee Dee and Sky said.

"What!?" the Doctor and Sky exclaimed.

"I want her out," Dee Dee and Sky said.

"You can't say that!" the Doctor and Sky said.

"I'm sorry, but you said it yourself, Doctor, she is growing in strength," Dee Dee and Sky said.

"That's not what I said!" the Doctor and Sky said.

"I want to go home," Dee Dee and Sky said. "I'm sorry. I want to be safe."

"You'll be safe, any minute now, the rescue truck is on its way," the Doctor and Sky said.

"But what happens then, Doctor?" the hostess and Sky asked. "If it takes that thing back to the Leisure Palace, if that thing reaches civilization, what if it spreads?"

"No, when we get back to the base, I'll be there to contain it," the Doctor and Sky said.

"You haven't done much so far!" Val and Sky said.

"You're just standing in the back with the rest of us!" Biff and Sky said. Clara nearly exploded when they started to turn on the Doctor.

"Now, hold on!" Clara and Sky exclaimed.

"She's dangerous," the hostess and Sky said. "It's my job to see this vessel is safe, and we should get rid of her."

"Now, hang on, I think, perhaps we're all going a little bit too far," Hobbes and Sky said.

"At last! Thank you," the Doctor and Sky said.

"Two people are dead!" the hostess and Sky pointed out.

"Don't make it a third!" the Doctor and Sky said. "Jethro, what d'you say?"

"I'm not killing anyone," Jethro and Sky said.

"Thank you," the Doctor and Sky said.

"He's just a boy!" Val and Sky said.

"What, so I don't get a vote?" Jethro and Sky asked.

"There isn't a vote, it's not happening!" the Doctor and Sky said. "Ever. If you try to throw her out that door, you'll have to get past me first."

"And me," Clara and Sky said, hands crossed over her chest.

"Okay," the hostess and Sky said, after a moment.

"Fine by me," Biff and Sky said.

"Ooh, now you're being stupid," the Doctor and Sky said. "Just think about it! Could you actually take hold of someone and throw them out of that door?"

"Calling me a coward?" Biff and Sky asked.

"Who put you in charge, anyway?" Val and Sky asked.

"I'm sorry, but...you're a Doctor of what, exactly?" Hobbes and Sky asked. "And who are you exactly?" he asked Clara.

"They weren't even booked in," the hostess and Sky said. "Rest of you, tickets in advance. "They just turned up out of the blue."

"Where from?" Val and Sky asked.

"We're just...traveling, we're travelers, that's all," the Doctor and Sky asked.

"Like an immigrant?" Val and Sky asked.

"Why does it even matter?" Clara and Sky asked, but was ignored.

"Who were you two talking to?" the hostess and Sky asked. "Before you two got on board, you were talking to someone, who was that?"

"Just Donna, just our friend," the Doctor and Sky said.

"And what were you saying to her?" Biff and Sky asked.

"That's none of your business," Clara and Sky said.

"He hasn't even told us his name," Val and Sky said.

"Thing is, Doctor, you've been loving this," Jethro and Sky said.

"Oh, Jethro, not you," the Doctor and Sky said.

"No, but ever since all the trouble started, you've been loving it," Jethro and Sky said.

"It has to be said, you do seem to have a certain...glee," Hobbes and Sky said.

"All right, I'm interested, yes, I can't help it, 'cos whatever's inside her, it's brand new, and that's fascinating!" the Doctor and Sky said.

"What, you wanted this to happen?" Val and Sky asked.

"No!" the Doctor and Sky exclaimed.

"And you were talking to her, all on your own, before all the trouble, right at the front, you were talking to that Sky woman, the two of you together, I saw you," Biff and Sky said, then turned to Clara. "And you went and talked to her when she was freaking out. I saw you do that."

"So?" Clara and Sky asked.

"We all did!" Val and Sky said.

"And you two went into the cabin!" the hostess and Sky said.

"What were you saying to her?" Biff and Sky asked.

"I was just talking!" the Doctor and Sky said.

"Saying what?" Biff and Sky asked.

"You called us humans, like you're not one of us!" Jethro and Sky said.

"He did!" Val and Sky said. "That's what he said!"

"And the wiring, he went into that panel and opened up the wiring," Dee Dee and Sky said.

"That was after!" the Doctor and Sky said.

"You'd all be dead if he wasn't here!" Clara and Sky snapped.

"But how did you know what to do?" Biff and Sky asked.

"Because I'm clever!" the Doctor and Sky said.

"I see," Hobbes and Sky said, as everyone fell silent. "Well. That makes things clear."

"And what are we, then? Idiots?" Biff and Sky asked.

"That's not what I meant," the Doctor and Sky said.

"If you're clever, then what are we?" Dee Dee and Sky asked.

"You've been looking down on us from the moment we walked in," Val and Sky said.

"Even if he goes, he's practically volunteered," the hostess and Sky said.

"You people are being ridiculous," Clara and Sky said.

"Oh, come on, just listen to yourself, please!" the Doctor and Sky said.

"What d'you mean—we throw the two of them out as well?" Biff and Sky asked.

"If we have to," the hostess and Sky asked.

"Look, just...right, sorry, yes, hold on, just...I know you're scared, and so am I, look at me, I am," the Doctor and Sky said. "But we have all got to calm down and cool off and think."

"Perhaps you could tell us your name," Hobbes and Sky said.

"What does it matter?" the Doctor and Sky asked.

"Then tell us," the hostess and Sky said.

"John Smith," the Doctor and Sky said. Clara shook her head.

"Your real name," Hobbes and Sky said.

"He's lying, look at his face," Biff and Sky said.

"His eyes are the same as hers," Val and Sky said.

"Why won't you tell us!?" Jethro and Sky asked.

"He's been lying to us, right from the start!" Val and Sky asked.

"Oh, enough!" Clara and Sky exploded.

"No one's called John Smith!" Biff and Sky said. "Come off it!"

Again, everyone started talking at once.

"Now, listen to me," the Doctor and Sky said. "Listen to me right now! Because you need me, all of you, if we're gonna get out of this, then you need me."

"So you keep saying!" Hobbes said. "You've been repeating yourself more than her."

"If anyone's in charge, it should be the Professor, he's the expert!"

"Mum, stop, just look..." Jethro said.

"You keep out of this, Jethro," Biff said.

"Look at her!" Jethro said.

"She's stopped..." Dee Dee said.

"When did she...?" the Doctor and Sky asked. "No, she hasn't, she's still doing it."

"She looks the same to me...no, she's stopped!" Val said. "Look, I'm talking, and she's not!"

"What about me, is she...?" Biff asked. "Look! Look at that! She's not doing me, she's let me go!"

"Mrs. Silvestry?" the hostess asked. "Nor me! Nothing!"

"Sky? What are you doing?" the Doctor and Sky asked.

"She's still doing him!" Dee Dee said.

"Doctor, it's you," Hobbes said. "She's only copying you."

"Why me?" the Doctor and Sky asked. "Why are you doing this?"

"She won't leave him alone!" Dee Dee exclaimed.

"D'you see!?" Val exclaimed. "I said so, she's with him."

"They're together!" Biff said.

"No, they're not!" Clara said. "We've never seen her before today."

"How d'you explain it, Doctor?" Hobbes asked. "If you're so clever."

"I don't know," the Doctor and Sky said. "Sky, stop it. I said stop it. Just stop it!"

"Look at the two of them!" Val said, as the Doctor walked to Sky and crouched down in front of her.

"Mrs. Silvestry," the Doctor and Sky said. "I'm trying to understand. You've captured my speech, what for? What d'you need? You need my voice in particular. The cleverest voice in the room. Why? 'Cos I'm the only one who can help? Ohh, I'd love that to be true. But your eyes. They're saying something else. Listen to me. Whatever you want, if it's life, or form, or consciousness, or voice, you don't have to steal it. You can find it without hurting anyone. And I'll help you. That's a promise. So. What d'you think?"

"Do we have a deal?" Sky asked, a split-second before the Doctor.

"Hold on, did she..." Dee Dee asked, as everyone was shocked into silence.

"She spoke first," Jethro said.

"She can't have," Val said.

"She did!" Hobbes said.

"She spoke first!" Jethro said.

"Doctor?" Clara asked in concern.

"Oh, look at that, I'm ahead of you," Sky said.

"Oh, look at that, I'm ahead of you," the Doctor said.

"Did you see?" Hobbes asked. "She spoke before he did! Definitely!"

"He's copying her," Jethro said.

"Doctor, what's happening?" Hobbes asked.

"I think it's moved," Sky said.

"I think it's moved," the Doctor said.

"I think it's letting me go," Sky said.

"I think it's letting me go," the Doctor repeated.

"Doctor?" Clara said, walking slowly to him, but Biff grabbed her arm and kept her back. "Let me go!"

"Stay back from them," he said.

"What do you mean?" Dee Dee asked Sky. "Letting you go from what?"

"But he's repeating now, he's the one doing it! It's him!" Biff said.

"No, it's not!" Clara said. "It's still her. Look at her eyes!"

"They're separating," Jethro said.

"Mrs. Silvestry? Is that you?" Hobbes asked.

"Yes, yes, it's me," Sky said, and the Doctor repeated.

"I'm coming back, listen," Sky said.

"I'm coming back..." the Doctor said.

"It's me!" Sky said.

"...listen. It's me!" the Doctor said.

The Doctor was the one who was crouching there motionless, while Sky slowly started to move her head and hands.

"Like it's passed into the Doctor," Jethro said. "It's transferred. Whatever it is, it's gone inside him," Jethro asked.

"No, that's not what happened," Dee Dee said.

"But look at her!" Val said.

"Look at me, I can move..." Sky said.

"Look at me..." the Doctor said.

"I can feel again..." Sky said.

"I can move...I can feel again..." the Doctor said.

"I'm coming back to life..." Sky said.

"I'm coming back to life..." the Doctor said.

"And look at him, he can't move," Sky said.

"And look at him, he can't move."

"Help me," Sky said.

"Help me."

"Professor?" Sky said.

"Professor?"

"Get me away from him," Sky said.

"Get me away from him."

"Please," Sky said.

"Please."

"Don't touch her!" Clara said, as Hobbes moved forward and took Sky's hand, leading her to the others, avoiding touching the Doctor. "Keep her away!"

"Shut up!" Biff said to her.

"Ohh, thank you," Sky said.

"Ohh, thank you," the Doctor said.

"They're completely separated," Jethro said.

"It's in him, d'you see? I said it was him all the time," Biff said.

"She's free! She's been saved!" Val exclaimed.

"Oh, it was so cold," Sky said.

"Oh, it was so cold."

"I couldn't breathe," Sky said.

"I couldn't breathe."

"I'm sorry," Sky said.

"I'm sorry."

"I must've scared you so much," Sky said.

"I must've scared you so much."

"No, no, it's all righ, I've got you, ohh, there you are, my love, it's gone, everything's all right now," Val said, moving to hug Sky.

"I wouldn't touch her," Dee Dee said.

"Thank you, Dee Dee," Clara said, relieved someone agreed with her.

"But it's gone, she's clean, it passed into him," Biff said.

"That's not what happened," Dee Dee said.

"Thank you for your opinion, Dee, but clearly, Mrs. Silvestry has been released," Hobbes said.

"No.." Dee Dee said.

"It's still in her!" Clara said.

"Just leave her alone!" Val said. "She's safe, isn't she? Jethro? It's let her go, hasn't it?"

"Think so, yeah," Jethro said. "Looks like it. Professor?"

"I'd say, from observation...the Doctor can't move, and when she was possessed, she couldn't move, so..." Hobbes said.

"Well, there we are then!" Biff said. "Now the only problem we've got is this Doctor."

"It's inside my head," Sky said.

"It's inside my head," the Doctor said.

"It killed the driver," Sky said.

"It killed the driver."

"And the mechanic," Sky said.

"And the mechanic."

"And now it wants us," Sky said.

"And now it wants us."

"I said so!" Val said.

"Just shut it!" Clara said. "It's not the Doctor! It's her!"

"He's waited so long," Sky said.

"He's waited so long."

"In the dark. And the cold," Sky said.

"In the dark. And the cold."

"And the diamonds," Sky said.

"And the diamonds."

"Until you came," Sky said.

"Until you came."

"Bodies so hot," Sky said.

"Bodies so hot."

"With blood," Sky said.

"With blood."

"And pain," Sky said.

"And pain."

"Stop, oh my gosh, make him stop, someone make him stop!" Val said.

"But she's saying it!" Dee Dee said.

"And you can shut up!" Val said.

"Why don't you!?" Clara yelled.

"But it's not him, it's her, he's just repeating!" Dee Dee said.

"But that's what the thing does, it repeats!" Biff said.

"Just let her talk!" the hostess said.

"What do you know?" Biff asked. "Fat lot of good you've been!"

"Just let her explain," the hostess said.

"I think...I mean, from what I've seen...it repeats, then it synchronizes, then it goes on to the next stage and that's exactly wha the Doctor said would happen!" Dee Dee said.

"Finally, someone listens to him!" Clara said.

"What, and you're on his side?" Biff asked Dee Dee.

"No!" Dee Dee said.

"Absolutely, I am," Clara said, hands on her hips.

"The voice is the thing!" Jethro said.

"And she's the voice!" Dee Dee said. "She stole it! Look at her! It's not possessing him, it's draining him!"

"She's got his voice..." the hostess said.

"Thank you! That's what I've been saying!" Clara said.

"But that's not true, 'cos it can't, because I saw it pass into him, I saw it with my own eyes!" Val said.

"So did I!" Biff said.

"You didn't!" Dee Dee said.

"There was nothing to see!" Clara said.

"It went from her, to him," Val said. "You saw it, didn't you?"

"I don't know," Jethro said.

"Oh, don't be stupid, Jethro, of course you did!" Val said.

"I suppose...he was right next to her," Jethro said.

"Everyone saw it, everyone!" Biff said.

"You didn't, you're just making it up!" Dee Dee said. "I know what I saw, and I saw her stealing his voice."

"She's as bad as him, someone shut her up!" Val said.

"I think you should be quiet, Dee," Hobbes said.

"Let her talk," Clara said. "She's right!"

"Well, I'm only saying..." Dee Dee said.

"And that's an order!" Hobbes shouted. "You're making a fool of yourself! Pretending you're an exert in mechanics and hydraulics, when I can tell you, you are nothing more than average, at best! Now shut up!"

"Why don't you, Professor?" Clara said.

"That's how he does it," Sky said.

"That's how he does it," the Doctor said.

"He makes you fight," Sky said.

"He makes you fight."

"Creeps into your head," Sky said.

"Creeps into your head."

"And whispers," Sky said.

"And whispers."

"Listen," Sky said.

"Listen."

"Just listen," Sky said.

"Just listen."

"That's him," Sky said.

"That's him."

"Inside," Sky said.

"Inside."

"Throw him out," Biff said.

"Get him out of my head!" Val said.

"Yeah, we should throw him out!" Biff said.

"Over my dead body," Clara said, standing in their way.

"Well, don't just talk about it!" Val said, all of them ignoring Clara. "Just, you're useless! Do something!"

"I will! You watch me! I'm gonna throw him out!" Biff said.

"No, you won't!" Clara said.

"Yes!" Sky said.

"Yes!" the Doctor repeated.

"Throw him out!" Sky said.

"Throw him out!"

"Get rid of him!" Sky said.

"Get rid of him!"

"Now!" Sky said.

"Now!"

Clara jumped onto Biff's back, trying to stop him, as he grabbed the Doctor and started dragging him to the door.

"Let him go!" Clara shouted, hitting him where ever she could.

"Get rid of her!" Biff shouted.

Clara was pulled off of Biff, hitting her head in the process, knocking her out. When she came to, the hostess was grabbing Sky and pressing the button that opened the fire exit.

"No!" Clara shouted, as the pressure-wall collapsed and the hostess and Sky were sucked outside. The door close, the bright light gone. Clara crawled over to the Doctor, who had collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air.

"Doctor," she said, cradling his head in her lap.

"It's gone, it's gone," he kept repeating, over and over. He slowly sat up, lifting his head out of Clara's lap and leaned against the seats behind them. Clara sat up with him and leaned against the Doctor's shoulder. He took her hand, stroking it.

"I said it was her," Val said weakly.

"Oh, just shut it," Clara said. "And hopefully, this time, you'll listen."

Twenty minutes later, the Doctor and Clara were still sitting in the same spot, while the other people were spread out everywhere.

"Repeat, Crusader 50, rescue vehicle coming alongside in three minutes, door-seals set to automatic," a voice said, over the intercom. "Prepare for boarding, repeat, prepare for boarding."

"The hostess...what was her name?" the Doctor asked, but everyone just looked away, ashamed.

_Good,_ Clara thought. _They should be_.

"I don't know," Professor Hobbes said.

Clara was extremely glad to be on solid ground again, after the rescue ship had landed. Donna hugged the both of them silently, knowing something was wrong.

"What d'you think it was?" Donna asked them, after the Doctor had told her everything.

"No idea," the Doctor said.

"D'you think it's still out there?" Donna asked, but the Doctor didn't answer. "Well, you'd better tell 'em. This lot."

"Yeah," the Doctor said. "They can build a Leisure Palace somewhere else. Let this planet keep on turning, round an Xtonic star. In silence."

"Can't imagine you, without a voice," Donna said.

"It was scary," Clara said.

"Molto bene," the Doctor said with a weak smile.

"Molto bene," Donna said, teasing him.

"No, don't do that," the Doctor said, as Clara shuddered. "Don't. Don't..."


	53. Turn Left

**Turn Left**

Clara had her arm linked with the Doctor's smiling at the sights around her. They were in an oriental marketplace, looking around everywhere. The Doctor handed her a drink, and had an extra for Donna. They met up with her, and the three of them walked down an alley, laughing.

"You are going to love this," the Doctor told them. "One, two, three!"

The three of them took drinks and in return, got foamy mustaches. Donna burst out laughing.

"Ah!" the Doctor said.

"It's lovely!" Donna said.

"Very cool," Clara said, as they continued down the alley.

Clara stayed with the Doctor, as Donna wondered off.

"It looks like a spiky fruit," Clara said, as the Doctor had picked something up. Clara just shook her head, smiling, as the Doctor was chatting with the man in the stall. She didn't understand half of what he was saying.

She walked to the next stall to see some jewelery for sell. She had never been a big jewelery fan, but was loving the locket that caught her eye. It was in the shape of a heart and had some script that looked like swirls all over it.

"How much?" she asked the seller. With the little bit of pocket money that she had found in one of the Doctor's many coat pockets, she purchased the necklace.

She walked back over to the Doctor, who smiled at her as he put the necklace on for her. She suddenly had a weird feeling in her gut, like something was wrong.

**BACK TO RUNAWAY BRIDE...**

The Doctor had been suspicious of H.C. Clements, so they had landed in Chiswick to investigate. It turned out that he was right. H.C. Clements was originally purchased by Torchwood. Angry, the Doctor and Clara had gone into the building, knowing something was wrong, to find a large hole in the building that extended very far down.

That was when the spider had appeared. The Racnoss, the Doctor called it. On their way to the lab they were in, the Doctor and Clara had found a room that had robots in it, some dressed like Santa, some not. Picking up a remote control and some bombs that were disguised as Christmas baubles, the Doctor used them to break open the concrete walls around them and drain the Thames into the room.

Before she realized what was happening, Clara was swept away by the current, down into the hole. The Doctor fared no better. He was killed by the explosions that were going off everywhere. Unable to regenerate, he was carted off to an ambulance, dead. Clara's body was never found, as no one could get down the hole to recover it.

As the Doctor and Clara were dead, planet Earth turned into utter chaos. First, the Racnoss had teleported to her ship, using it to destroy the streets of London, before the army shot the ship down with their tanks.

A blonde woman ran up to Donna Noble in the street, after the Doctor's body had been recovered.

"What happened?" the woman asked Donna. "What did they find? Sorry, did they find someone?"

"I don't know," Donna said. "Um, bloke called the Doctor or something. And there was someone else they couldn't find."

"Well, where is he?" the blonde woman asked, looking around.

"They took him away," Donna said. "He's dead. I'm sorry. Did you know him? I mean...they didn't say his name...it could be any doctor."

"I came so far," the blonde woman said. "Did they mention a Clara Tyler?"

"Yeah, that was the one they couldn't find," Donna said. "Swept down a hole to the centre of the Earth. It could be anyone, though," she said about the Doctor.

"What's your name?" the blonde woman asked.

"Donna. And you?" Donna asked.

The next to come were the Judoon, sending the hospital to the moon, trying to find the Plasmavore. Without the Doctor and Clara, the Judoon didn't find the Plasmavore until it was too late, and the hospital had run out of air.

"To confirm, the Royal Hope Hospital was returned to its original position, but with only one survivor," the news reporter for BBC news said. "The only person left alive is medical student, Oliver Morgenstern."

"There were these creatures," Morgenstern said, wrapped in blankets. "Like...rhinos, talking rhinos, in—in—in black leather. There were hundreds of them. We couldn't breathe. We were running out of air. A colleague of mine gave me the last oxygen tank. Martha. Martha Jones. And she—she died."

"This further report just in, from Oliver Morgenstern," the reporter said.

"There was this woman who took control, who said she—she knew what to do, said she could stop the MRI or something—Sarah Jane, her name was Sarah Jane Smith," Morgenstern said.

"Sarah Jane Smith was a freelance investigative journalist formally of Metropolitan Magazine," the reporter said. "Her body was recovered from the hospital late this afternoon. Miss Smith had a son called Luke Smith with her, along with his teenage friends Maria Jackson and Clyde Langer. It is feared that they also perished."

The next Christmas, the Doctor and Clara weren't around to stop the Host from killing everyone on board the Titanic, nor to save anyone. The Titanic, without the Doctor at the wheel, crashed straight into Buckingham Palace, destroying London with the power of a nuclear bomb.

"We have interrupted your programme to bring you breaking news," a BBC newsreader announced. "It seems impossible, but this footage is live and genuine. The object falling on Central London. Repeat: this is not a hoax. A replica of the Titanic has fallen out of the sky and it's heading for Buckingham Palace. We're getting this footage from the Guinevere range of satellites. The Royal Air Force has declared anarchy-"

When the Titanic crashed, it had destroyed all the television stations, sending static to all televisions.

Britain was in total chaos. People that had lived in London, but wasn't there, had to move. Anyone that was in the surrounding area were flooded with radiation and evacuated immediately. America was going to send money to aid the people of Britain, but then came Miss Foster and the Adipose factory.

The Doctor, Clara, nor Donna were there to stop her from killing millions of people, turning them into fat. Originally, it had only been Britain affected by the Adipose, but without the Doctor, sales had spread to America as well.

"America is in crisis, with sixty million reported dead," the American newsreader, Tiffany Wells, announced. "Sixty million people have dissolved into fat. And the fat is walking. People's fat has come to life and is walking through the streets. And there are spaceships. There are reports of spaceships over every major US city. The fat is flying. It's leaving...The fat creatures are being raised into the air..."

Despite the fact that the Earth was in a crisis, the Sontarans still used the planet to plant ATMOS. The Doctor wasn't able to build a device that ignited the atmosphere to get rid of all the gas and save the day. Instead, the Torchwood team, Gwen Cooper, Ianto Jones, and Jack Harkness blew up the Sontaran ship to ignite the atmosphere, dying in the process. Except Captain Jack Harkness, who teleported to the Sontaran home world.

The stars of the universe started going out, one by one, all across the sky, leaving nothing but darkness behind. The same thing had happened when the Doctor had died. Darkness took over.

**BACK TO ORIENTAL MARKETPLACE...**

The Doctor and Clara continued to wander past the stalls, winding up at a tent. The two of them went in, finding Donna sitting there, looking kind of freaked out.

"Everything all right?" the Doctor asked.

"You look kinda pale, Donna," Clara said.

Donna was looking at the two of them as if she hadn't seen them in forever.

"Oh, gosh...!" she exclaimed, embracing the two of them, and gasping with relief.

"What was that for?" the Doctor asked, laughing.

"I don't know!" Donna said, then hugged them again.

Clara pretended that she was having a hard time breathing, then laughed. Donna told them what she could remembered, pointing out the dead beetle on the floor. The Doctor picked it up and started poking at it with an incense stick, while Donna and Clara sat down, watching him.

"I can't remember," Donna said. "It's slipping away. You know, like when you try and think of a dream and it just sort of...goes."

"It just got lucky, this thing," the Doctor said. "It's one of the Trickster's Brigade. Changes a life in tiny little ways. Most times, the universe just compensates around it, but with you...great big parallel world!"

"Hold on, you said parallel worlds are sealed off," Donna said.

"They are," the Doctor said. "But you had one created around you. Funny thing is, it seems to be happening a lot. To you."

"How do you mean?" Donna asked.

"Well, the Library and then this..." the Doctor said.

"That's only twice, not a lot," Clara teased.

"Just...goes with the job, I suppose," Donna said.

"Sometimes, I think there's way too much coincidence around you, Donna," the Doctor said. "We met you once. We met your grandfather. Then, we met you again. In the whole wide universe, we met you for a second time."

"That never happens," Clara said.

"It's like something's binding us together," the Doctor said.

"Don't be so daft," Donna said skeptically. "I'm nothing special."

"Yes, you are, you're brilliant," the Doctor said fondly.

"More clever than I am," Clara said.

"She said that," Donna said.

"Who did?" the Doctor asked.

"That woman," Donna said. "I can't remember."

"Well, she never existed now," the Doctor said.

"No, but she said...the stars...she said the stars are going out," Donna said.

"Yeah, but that world's gone," the Doctor said.

"Never existed now," Clara said.

"No, but she said it was all words. Every world," Donna said. "She said the darkness is coming, even here."

"Who was she?" the Doctor asked.

"I don't know," Donna said.

"What did she look like?" the Doctor asked, having a suspicion.

"She was...blonde," Donna said.

"What?" Clara asked.

"What was her name?" the Doctor asked.

"I don't know!" Donna said.

"Donna, what was her name?" the Doctor asked insistently, his voice trembling. Clara was leaning forward, waiting for the answer.

"But she told me...to warn you two," Donna said. "She said...two words."

"What two words?" the Doctor asked quietly, suppressing his urgency. "What were they? What did she say?"

"Bad Wolf," Donna said.

"How-?" Clara asked. The Doctor was shaking, his eyes wide. "It is her, isn't is?"

"Well, what does it mean-?" Donna asked, not understanding.

The Doctor jumped to his feet, and ran from the tent, Donna and Clara following. In the marketplace, everywhere they looked said 'Bad Wolf.'

In the TARDIS, the console room was flooded with a red light.

"Doctor, what is it?" Donna asked, slamming the door shut behind her. "What's Bad Wolf?"

"It's the end of the Universe," the Doctor said, breathing heavily.


	54. The Stolen Earth

**The Stolen Earth**

The Doctor had jumped into action, immediately setting the TARDIS to present-day London. When he, Donna, and Clara ran out of the TARDIS, everything was fine, even though the three of them were in a panic.

"It's fine...everything's fine," the Doctor said. "Nothing's wrong, it's all fine!"

There was a milkman in the road that the Doctor called to.

"Excuse me?" he said. "What day is it?"

"Saturday," the milkman said, looking at the Doctor like he was odd.

"Saturday! Good!" the Doctor said. "Good, I like Saturdays."

"So...I just met Rose Tyler?" Donna asked.

"Yeah," the Doctor said, still looking around.

"But she's locked away in a parallel world," Donna said.

"Exactly," the Doctor said. "If she can cross from her parallel world to your parallel world, then that means the walls of the universe are breaking down, which puts everything in danger. Everything. But how?"

The Doctor and Donna hurried back into the TARDIS, but Clara took another look around. The moment the TARDIS doors closed, there was a tremor.

"What-?" Clara said, then started shouting. "Doctor! Doctor!"

The next minute, Clara was nearly thrown to the ground. The TARDIS had disappeared, but she knew it hadn't dematerialized. It was suddenly dark outside, but it had been morning when they had landed.

Looking up at the sky, Clara gasped to see planets everywhere. They were definitely not in the Solar System anymore.

The TARDIS gone and no Doctor, Clara did what she could. She started running. She knew that Sarah Jane didn't live too far away, so she ran there. Running non-stop, she found Sarah Jane and a young boy standing outside of the house, looking at the sky.

"Sarah Jane!" Clara called, running up.

"Clara!" Sarah called. "Where's the Doctor?"

"I don't know," Clara said. "The TARDIS just disappeared when the trembling started. One minute it was there, the next, it was gone! But we've got to try and find him."

"Let's go inside," Sarah Jane said. "I'll introduce you to Mr. Smith."

Mr. Smith displayed a lay-out of the planets, along with something that was flashing red.

"The reading seems to be artificial in construction," Mr. Smith said.

"Some sort of space-station, sitting in the heart of the web," Sarah Jane said.

"Probably responsible for all of this," Clara said. "But what can do this?"

"They're fine—Maria and her Dad, they're still in Cornwall," the boy, whom Sarah Jane had introduced as her son, Luke, said. "I told them to stay indoors. And Clyde's all right, he's with his Mum."

"Sarah Jane, I have detected movement," Mr. Smith said. "Observe."

The red light on screen expanded and now looked like objects heading towards Earth.

"Spaceships!" Luke said, grinning at both Clara and Sarah Jane, who gave nervous smiles back.

"Doctor, where are you?" Clara whispered to herself. She had tried to use her mobile, which called anywhere in the universe, but she couldn't get hold of the Doctor.

"I'm receiving communication from the Earthbound ships," Mr. Smith said. "A message for the human race."

"Put it through," Sarah Jane said. "Let's hear it."

"Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!" came through the communication.

"Oh, my gosh," Clara whispered in fear. Sarah Jane was shaking with terror, tears falling down her cheeks.

"Exterminate! Exterminate!" the Daleks cried.

"No," Sarah Jane whispered.

"Without the Doctor, we're dead," Clara said, also crying.

"Oh, you're—you're so young," Sarah Jane said, clutching at Luke.

News feeds were down, as Dalek ships circled the Earth, taking some people with them, and killing others. The Earth was in chaos. With nothing they could do, Clara, Sarah Jane, and Luke were sitting down.

"The Daleks reign supreme," a Dalek said, through the transmission. "All hair the Daleks!"

"There's nothing that can be done," Clara said. "I'm sorry."

"Can anyone hear me?" came a voice from Mr. Smith. "The subwave network is open, you should be able to hear my voice...Is there anyone there?"

"Who's that?" Luke asked.

"Some poor soul calling for help," Sarah Jane said. "There's nothing we can do."

"Nothing at all," Clara said sadly.

"But look at Mr. Smith!" Luke said.

"Processing incoming subwave," Mr. Smith said.

Mr. Smith displayed the blurry outline of a person, white static still all over the screen.

"This message is of the utmost importance," the woman's voice said. "We haven't much time. Can anyone hear me? Captain Jack Harkness, shame on you!"

"What?" Clara asked, looking at the screen.

"Now, stand to attention, sir!" the woman's voice said.

Mr. Smith got the image working, and there was Harriet Jones, sitting in front of a computer.

"Harriet Jones, former Prime Minister," she said, holding up an ID card. "Sarah Jane Smith, 13 Bannerman Road. Are you there?"

Sarah Jane jumped to her feet and said, "Yeah! Yeah, I'm here! It's me!"

"Good!" Harriet said. "Now, let's see if we can talk to each other."

Mr. Smith divided the screen into four squares. One was Harriet, one was Sarah Jane and Clara, and the third was Jack. The fourth was still white with static.

"The fourth contact seems to be having some trouble getting through," Harriet said. "I'll just boost the signal."

"Martha!" Clara exclaimed, as she appeared in the fourth square.

"Hello?" Martha said.

"Martha Jones!" Jack said.

"Hi, Jack!" Clara said, smiling.

"Why aren't you with the Doctor?" Jack asked.

"Sorta got left behind when the planet shifted," Clara said. "Made it to Sarah Jane's."

"Right," Jack said. "Martha, where are you?"

"I guess Project Indigo was more clever than we thought," Martha said.

"Project Indigo?" Clara asked.

"One second I was in Manhattan, next second, maybe Indigo tapped into my mind, because I ended up in the one place that I wanted to be," Martha said.

"You came home," Francine said, standing by Martha in the screen. "At the end of the world, you came back to me."

"But all of a sudden, it's like..the laptop turned itself on?" Martha asked.

"It did," Harriet said. "That was me. Harriet Jones, former Prime Minister."

"Yes, I—know who you are," Martha said, smiling.

"I thought it was about time we all met, given the current crisis," Harriet said. "Torchwood—this is Sarah Jane Smith."

"I've been following your work," Jack said to Sarah Jane. "Nice job with the Slitheen..."

"Yeah, well, I've been staying away from you lot," Sarah Jane said. "Too many guns."

She nodded in Luke's direction and Clara grinned.

"All the same...might I say, looking good, ma'am," Jack said.

"Really? Ooh!" Sarah Jane said, pleased.

"Oh, Jack," Clara groaned.

"Not now, Captain," Harriet said. "Now, I believe you all know Clara Tyler, companion to the Doctor?"

"Hey, everyone," Clara said.

"And Martha Jones, former companion to the Doctor," Harriet said.

"But how did you find me?" Martha asked.

"This, ladies and gentlemen, this is a subwave network," Harriet said. "A sentient piece of software programmed to seek out anyone and everyone who can help to contact the Doctor."

"What if the Daleks can hear us?" Martha asked.

"No!" Harriet said. "That's the beauty of the subwave. It's undetectable."

"That's brilliant!" Clara said, highly impressed.

"And...you invented it?" Sarah Jane asked, just as impressed as Clara.

"I developed it," Harriet said. "It was created by the Mr. Copper Foundation."

"Yeah, but what we need right now is a weapon," Jack said. "Martha, back there at UNIT, what did they give you? What was that key thing?"

"The Osterhagen Key," Martha said, showing it to them.

"That key is not to be used, Doctor Jones," Harriet said. "Not under any circumstance."

"But what is an Osterhagen Key?" Jack asked.

"Forget about the key!" Harriet commanded. "And that's an order. All we need now is the Doctor."

"Oh, excuse me, Harriet, but, well, the thing is...if you're looking for the Doctor, didn't he depose you?" Sarah Jane asked apologetically.

"He did," Harriet said. "And I've wondered about that for a long time, whether I was wrong. But I stand by my actions to this day, because I knew—I knew that one day, the Earth would be in danger and the Doctor would fail to appear. I told him so myself, and he didn't listen."

"He was here," Clara said. "On Earth. The TARDIS just vanished when the planet did. It's like he was moved in time and space or else he'd be here."

"But I've been trying to find him," Martha said. "The Doctor's got my phone on the TARDIS, but I can't get through."

"Neither could I," Clara said. "I tried several times."

"That's why we need the subwave—to bring us all together," Harriet said. "Combined forces. The Doctor's secret army."

"Wait a minute," Jack said. "We boost the signal—that's it! We transmit that telephone number through Torchwood itself, using all the power of the rift..."

"And we've got Mr. Smith!" Luke said. "We can link up with every telephone exchange on the Earth. He can get the whole world to call the same number, all at the same time. Billions of phones calling out, all at once!"

"Haha, brilliant!" Jack said, then pointed at Luke. "Who's the kid?"

"That's my son!" Sarah Jane said in a proud voice.

"Excuse me, sorry," a man said, moving in front of Jack on the screen. "Sorry. Hello. Ianto Jones. Um, if we start transmitting, then the subwave network is going to become...visible. I mean, to the...Daleks."

"Yes, and they'll trace it back to me, but my life doesn't matter," Harriet said. "Not if it saves the Earth."

"Ma'am," Jack, standing to attention and saluting.

"Thank you, Captain," Harriet said. "But there are people out there, dying. On the streets. Now, enough of words. Let's begin."

She started typing like crazy.

"Rift power activated," Jack said.

"All terminals coordinated," a woman said.

"National Grid online—giving you everything we've got!" Ianto said.

"Connecting you to Mr. Smith!" Sarah Jane said, as she and Luke were typing away.

"All telephone networks combined!" Luke said.

"Here's the number," Clara said, taking out her mobile, showing it to Sarah Jane.

"Sending you the number...now!" Martha said.

"Opening subwave network to maximum," Harriet said.

"Mr. Smith...make that call," Sarah Jane said, as she and Luke stepped back by Clara.

"Calling...the Doctor," Mr. Smith said, displaying the number on screen.

"And...sending!" Jack said. "I think we've got a fix!"

"Mr. Smith now at two hundred percent!" Sarah Jane said. The three of them jumped back as sparks flew out of Mr. Smith. It wasn't unlike the console exploding in the TARDIS.

"Oh, come on, Doctor!" Sarah Jane said impatiently.

"I hope this works," Clara said.

"Harriet, a source has locked onto our location," Gwen said. "They've found you."

"I know," Harriet said. "I'm using the network to mask your transmission. Keep going!"

"Exterminate!" a Dalek said from Harriet's square.

"Captain, I'm transferring the subwave network to Torchwood," Harriet said. "You're in charge, now. And tell the Doctor from me: he chose his companions well."

"I'll make sure he knows, Harriet," Clara said, crying.

"It's been an honour," Harriet said.

In the background of Harriet's screen, they could see three Daleks smash through the window of her house. Harriet stood to meet them and held up her ID card.

"Harriet Jones, former Prime Minister," Harriet said to the Daleks.

"Yes, we know who you are," one Dalek said.

Clara gave a sad smile, still crying.

"Oh, you know nothing of any human," Harriet said. "And that will be your downfall."

"Exterminate!" one of the Daleks said, after a pause.

The screen that Harriet had been in went to static, the picture gone.

"Some sort of...subwave network," the Doctor's voice came through a moment later. The Doctor and Donna appeared in the square that Harriet had been in.

"Doctor!" Clara cried, relieved. "You left me!"

Jack laughed then said, "Where the hell have you been!? Doctor, it's the Daleks!"

"It's the Daleks!" Sarah Jane asked. "They're taking people to their spaceships!"

"But it's not just Dalek Caan!" Martha said.

"Sarah Jane! Clara!" the Doctor said, beaming. "Who's that boy? That must be Torchwood. Aren't they brilliant? Look at you all, you clever people!"

"That's Martha!" Donna said. "And there's Clara! So that's what happened to her! And who's...he?"

"Captain Jack," the Doctor said and Clara grinned. "Don't. Just...don't."

"It's like...an outer-space Facebook!" Donna said.

"Everyone except Rose," the Doctor said quietly.

The screen suddenly turned to white static, all the pictures disappeared.

"Your voice is different, and yet, its arrogance is unchanged," a new voice said.

"No," Sarah Jane whispered, horrified. "But he's dead."

"Who is he, Sarah Jane?" Clara asked, but Sarah Jane just shook her head.

The picture showed a man, well not really man, in what looked like the bottom of a Dalek with controls all over it. He didn't have any eyes, but one large blue one in the middle of his forehead.

"Welcome...to my new Empire, Doctor," the creature said. "It's only fitting that you should bear witness to the resurrection and the triumph of Davros, Lord and Creator of the Dalek Race. Have you nothing to say?"

"But you were destroyed," the Doctor's voice came through. "In the very first year of the Time War, at the Gates of Elysiem. I saw your command ship flying into the jaws of the Nightmare Child. I tried to save you..."

"But it took one stronger than you," Davros said. "Dalek Caan himself. Emergency temporal shift took him back into the Time War itself."

"But that's impossible, the entire War is time-locked," the Doctor said in disbelief.

"And yet, he succeeded," Davros said. "Oh, it cost him his mind, but imaging—a single, simple Dalek succeeded where Emperors and Time Lords have failed. A testament, don't you think, to my remarkable creations?"

"And you made a new race of Daleks," the Doctor said.

"I gave myself to them," Davros said. "Quite literally. Each one grown from a cell of my own body."

Clara shuddered. Davros had opened his suit to reveal a rotten-looking chest with his ribs showing.

"New Daleks," Davros said. "True Daleks. I have my children, Doctor. What do you have, now?"

"After all this time...everything we saw, everything we lost...I have only one thing to say to you," the Doctor said to Davros, then loudly said, "BYE!"

"Right," Clara said. "I'm going to find the Doctor."

"I'll go with you," Sarah Jane said.

"But your son needs you, Sarah Jane," Clara said.

"Mr. Smith, locate TARDIS, please," Sarah Jane said.

"TARDIS heading for vector seven," Mr. Smith said. "Grid reference: 665..."

"There are Daleks out there!" Luke exclaimed.

"I know," Sarah Jane said, pulling on her coat. "I'm sorry, but I have GOT to go with Clara and find the Doctor! Don't move. Don't leave the house. Don't do anything."

"I will protect the boy, Sarah Jane," Mr. Smith said.

"I love you," Sarah Jane said to Luke. "Remember that."

Sarah Jane had her keys as they left and got into her car. Clara got into the passenger seat and then they were off, skidding down the road.

"Wow!" Clara exclaimed, bracing herself with the window.

"Brake!" Clara screamed, as they rounded a corner and there were two Daleks in the road. Sarah Jane gasped in terror as they stopped suddenly.

"All human transport is forbidden," one Dalek said.

"No! We surrender, I'm sorry!" Sarah Jane said, hands in the air.

"Daleks do not accept apologies," the Dalek said. "You will be exterminated."

"Daleks, stop!" Clara cried out.

"Exterminate!" the Dalek said, as Sarah Jane threw her arms over her face.

"I'm sorry," Clara said, crying.

"Exterminate!"

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	55. Journey's End

**Journey's End**

"Exterminate!" both the Daleks cried.

There was suddenly a flash of blue light and Mickey Smith and Jackie Tyler appeared on either side of the car. They were each carrying large guns, which they used to blow the Daleks to pieces.

"Aunt Jackie!" Clara cried, jumping out of the car, embracing the blonde woman. Clara was nearly in hysterics, hugging Jackie.

"Mickey...!" Sarah Jane exclaimed.

"Us Smiths have got to stick together," Mickey said.

"Mickey!" Clara sobbed, hugging him as well. "Oh, I missed you two so much!"

"We missed you, too, sweetheart," Jackie said, rubbing her niece's back. She then introduced herself to Sarah Jane. "Jackie Tyler, Rose's Mum and Clara's aunt. Now, where the hell is my daughter?"

"You mean Rose is here?" Clara asked, confused. "We haven't seen her, but I'll bet she's on her way to find the Doctor."

"Which is where?" Mickey asked.

"We were actually on our way there," Clara said. The four of them made it to the area where Mr. Smith said the TARDIS was and snuck behind a van, watching the Daleks.

"Transferring TARDIS to the Crucible!" a Dalek said.

The TARDIS was lifted away into the sky by a blue circle of light. Clara watched it until it was out of sight.

"Those teleport things...can we use them?" Sarah Jane asked Jackie and Mickey. "If they've taken the Doctor to the Dalek spaceship, then that's where we need to be."

"It's not just a teleport, it's a Dimension Jump," Mickey said, pulling it out of his pocket. "Man, this thing rips a hole in the fabric of space."

"You shouldn't be using that!" Clara said. "You know what the Doctor would say about it."

"But can we use it?" Sarah Jane asked impatiently.

"Not yet, it burns up energy," Mickey said, putting it away. "Needs half an hour between jumps."

"Then, put down your guns," Sarah Jane said.

"What!?" Mickey exclaimed.

"Just do it," Clara said.

"If you're carrying a gun, they'll shoot you dead," Sarah Jane said, before stepping out from behind the van. "Daleks? I surrender."

Clara followed after her, hands in the air.

"All humans in this sector will be taken to the Crucible!" the Dalek said.

"And us," Jackie said, following Clara and Sarah Jane. "We surrender!"

They were herded with other humans, before being teleported up to the Dalek ship, the Crucible.

"One step closer to the Doctor," Sarah Jane said.

"And possible death," Clara said.

They were taken to a large room that was made of metal and stone.

"Prisoners will stand in the designated area," a Dalek said. "Move! Move!"

The room was full of Daleks, on the ground and in the air. One woman fell to the ground and Jackie went to help her.

"You will stand!" the Dalek said, rounding on the woman.

"I can't," said the woman in a scared voice.

"You will stand!" the Dalek said.

Sarah Jane noticed a door with a small round window in it and elbowed Clara. The two of them made a dash for it, unnoticed.

Sarah Jane had what seemed like lipstick, but it was sonic. She used it to open the door and then called to Mickey as loudly as she could.

"Mickey! Mickey!" she waved him over.

Mickey followed the to the door, but Jackie couldn't leave unnoticed. Sarah Jane, Clara, and Mickey couldn't do anything but watch through the window.

"We can't just leave her," Mickey said shakily. He went to open the door, but Sarah Jane stopped him.

"Wait!" she said.

She stopped him just in time as a Dalek glided in front of the door, blocking it. There was something above everyone in the room that started glowing with a white light.

"What can we do?!" Clara exclaimed, worried about her aunt. Mickey started pacing back and forth and stopped when he heard a beeping.

"Thirty minutes...it's recharged!" Mickey said. He ran to the window and held the device up in the window, showing it to Jackie. "It's recharged! It's recharged! Use it!"

One moment, Jackie was standing outside, the next minute she was in the room with them.

"Aunt Jackie!" Clara said, hugging her.

The light in the room outside increased, and Clara, Jackie, Mickey, and Sarah Jane could do nothing but watch in helplessness. The prisoners were dissolved into atoms. Clara had slight memories of being Bad Wolf and this reminded her of when she dissolved the Daleks.

They were still looking out the window when there was a noise behind them. Jack had tumbled out of an air vent.

"Jack!" Clara cried, running at him, hugging him.

"Heya," Jack said. "Just my luck. I climb through two miles of ventilation shafts, chasing life signs o this thing and who do I find? Mickey Mouse!"

"You can talk, Captain Cheesecake," Mickey said.

The two of them laugh and hugged.

"Good to see ya!" Jack said. "And that's 'Beefcake'."

"And that's enough hugging," Mickey said.

"We meet at last, Ms. Smith," Jack said.

"Is the Doctor alright?" Clara asked.

"Yeah, and so is Rose," Jack said.

"What about Donna?" Clara asked.

Jack had a sad look on his face and just shook his head.

"No," Clara gasped, crying. "So, there's nothing we can do?"

"There is something we can do," Sarah Jane said. "You've got to understand—I have a son down there on Earth. He's only fourteen years old. I brought this."

Sarah Jane pulled out what looked like a diamond necklace out of her pocket. It was shining with unusual brightness.

"It was given to me by a Verron Soothsayer," Sarah Jane said. "He said...'this is for the end of days'."

She gave it to Jack, who took it with his mouth slightly open and said, "Is that a Warp Star?"

Sarah Jane nodded.

"Gonna tell us what a Warp Star is?" Mickey asked.

"A warpfold conjugation trapped in a carbonized shell," Jack said, not taking his eyes off of it. "It's an explosion, Mickey. An explosion waiting to happen."

"The Doctor wouldn't approve, but we have to try something," Clara said.

Jack nodded and wired the Warp Star into the Crucible. He then used his vortex manipulator to contact the Daleks.

"Captain Jack Harkness calling all Dalek boys and girls!" he said, while Clara grinned. "Are you receiving me? Don't send in your goons or I'll set this thing off."

"Rose!" Clara cried, happy to see her cousin.

"He's still alive!" Rose said, looking at Jack. "Oh, my gosh, that's—that's Clara and my mum!"

"And Mickey," the Doctor said. "Captain, what are you doing?"

"I've got a Warp Star wired into the mainframe," Jack said. "I break the shell...the entire Crucible goes up."

"You can't! Where did you get a Warp Star?!" the Doctor asked.

"From me," Sarah Jane said. "We had no choice, we saw what happened to the prisoners."

"And we can't let that happen to anyone else," Clara said.

"Impossible," Davros said, seeing Sarah Jane. "That face...after all these years."

"Davros," Sarah Jane whispered, then said coldly and furiously. "That's been quite a while. Sarah Jane Smith. Remember?"

"Oh, this is meant to be," Davros said. "The Circle of Time is closing. You were there on Skaro at the very beginning of my creation."

"And I've learned how to fight since then," Sarah Jane said. "You let the Doctor go or this Warp Star—it gets opened."

"And then you can say goodbye to your little army," Clara said, arms over her chest.

"I'll do it," Jack said. "Don't imagine I wouldn't."

"Now, that's what I call a ransom," Rose said, laughing. "Doctor?"

"And the prophesy unfolds," Davros said.

"The Doctor's soul is revealed!" a voice cackled. "See him! See the heart of him!"

"The man who abhors violence, never carrying a gun," Davros said. "But this is the truth, Doctor: you take ordinary people and you fashion THEM into weapons. Behold your Children of Time transformed into murderers. I made the Daleks, Doctor. You made this."

"They're trying to help," the Doctor said.

"Already, I have seen them sacrifice today for their beloved Doctor," Davros said. "The Earth woman who fell opening the subwave network."

"Who was that?" the Doctor asked.

"Harriet Jones," Rose said. "She gave her life to get you here."

"How many more?" Davros asked. "Just think. How many more have died in your name? The Doctor...the man who keeps running, never looking back, because he dare not, out of shame. This is my final victory, Doctor. I have shown you...yourself."

There was a bright flash of light and Jack, Clara, Sarah Jane, Mickey, and Jackie were transported to the room what the Doctor was in.

Clara was on the floor and jumped up, ready for anything.

"Martha!" Jack called, helping her up. "I've got you, it's all right-"

"Don't move!" the Doctor shouted. "All of you! Stay still!"

Clara froze.

"Guard them!" Davros said. "On your knees, all of you. Surrender!"

"Do as he says," the Doctor said.

Clara was the first to obey as a Dalek glided around them, and then after a moment, the others followed suit.

"Mum, I told you not to!" Rose said.

"Yeah, but I couldn't leave you," Jackie said.

"The final prophecy is in place," Davros said. Clara looked at the Doctor, eyes trying to apologize. "The Doctor and his children all gathered as witnesses. Supreme Dalek...the time has come! Now...Detonate the Reality Bomb!"

"No," Clara whispered in horror.

"Activate planetary alignment field!" Supreme Dalek said. "Universal reality detonation in two hundred rels!"

"You can't, Davros!" the Doctor said desperately. "Just listen to me! Just STOP!"

"Nothing can stop the detonation!" Davros cackled. "Nothing! And no one!"

"What the-?" Clara said, as the TARDIS started to materialize in the room.

"But that's..." the Doctor said, and Dalek Caan started to giggle.

"Impossible," Davros said.

The TARDIS materialized fully and the Doctor stepped out.

"How-?" Clara said, looking between the Doctor that was trapped and the one standing in front of the TARDIS.

"Brilliant," Jack said, looking highly impressed.

Davros rolled backwards, like he was afraid, and the other Doctor ran towards him, a device in hand.

"Don't!" the Doctor in panic, but it was too late. Davros pointed his finger at the New Doctor and electricity knocked him to the floor.

"Activate holding cell," Davros said and the New Doctor was trapped.

"Doctor!" Donna shouted, running from the TARDIS. She bent and picked up the device. "I've got it! But I don't know what to do!"

Davros shot the electricity at Donna, sending her flying backwards.

"No!" Clara shouted, as the Doctor cried out, "Donna!"

"Donna! Are you all right, Donna!?" the Doctor exclaimed.

"Destroy the weapon," Davros said and a Dalek shot it, causing it to explode. "I was wrong bout your warriors, Doctor. They are pathetic."

"Yeah, let me up and I'll show you how 'pathetic' I can be," Clara growled.

"How come there're two of you?!" Rose asked the Doctor.

"Human biological metacrisis," the Doctor said. "Never mind that, now we've got no way of stopping the Reality Bomb."

"Detonation in twenty rels!" Supreme Dalek said. "Nineteen..."

"Stand witness, Time Lord," Davros said. "Stand witness, Humans. Your strategies have failed, your weapons are useless, and...oh—the end of the universe is come."

Clara grabbed Jack's hand and held onto it tightly as Supreme Dalek started counting down.

"Nine...eight...seven...six...five...four...three...two...one..."

Instead of destroying the universe, everything powered down and the screen went dead. Clara looked around, confused, but pleased.

"Oh...closing all Z-Neutrino relay loops using an internalized synchronous back-feed reversal loop! That button there!" Donna said, smiling.

"Donna, you can't even change a plug!" the Doctor said, completely bewildered.

"Do you wanna bet, Time Boy?" Donna asked, grinning away.

"You will suffer for this," Davros said.

Donna gave him a look that said, 'I don't think so' and flicked a switch which electrocuted Davros' own arm.

"Oh..!" Donna said. "Bioelectric dampening field with a retrogressive arc inversion."

"Exterminate her!" Davros said in furry.

"Exterminate!" all the Daleks started crying.

Donna didn't look bothered, however. Instead, she pressed some buttons and flipped switches. All the Daleks powered down, their guns twitching.

"Weapons are non-functional!" one Dalek said.

"What?" Donna asked. "Macrotransmission of a K-filter wavelength blocking Dalek weaponry in a self-replicating energy blindfold matrix?"

Clara didn't understand half of what Donna was saying, but still thought it was brilliant.

"How did you work that out?" the Doctor asked, amazed. "You..."

"Time Lord," the New Doctor said. "Part Time Lord."

"Part human!" Donna said, loving it. "Oh, yes! That was a two-way biological metacrisis. Half Doctor, half Donna!"

"The Doctor-Donna," the Doctor said, staring at her. "Just like the Ood said, remember? They saw it coming! The Doctor-Donna."

"Holding cells deactivated," Donna said, flicking some switches. "And seal the Vault. Well, don't just stand there, you skinny boys in suits—get to work!"

Both the Doctors dashed to the console to help Donna.

"This is too weird," Clara said, standing up.

"Stop them!" Davros shouted. "Get them away from the controls!"

The Daleks approached them.

"And...spin," Donna said, flicking a switch.

Clara giggled as the Daleks started spinning in circles, all saying, "Help me. Help me."

"And...the other way!" Donna said. They started spinning the other way, their top halves and bottom halves were spinning in opposite directions.

"What did you do?" the Doctor asked.

"Trip-stitch circuit-breaker in the psycho-kinetic threshold manipulator," Donna said.

"But that's brilliant!" the New Doctor said, beaming.

"Why did we never think of that?" the Doctor asked the New Doctor.

"Because you two...were just Time Lords!" Donna said. "You dumbos. Lacking that little bit of Human, that gut instinct that goes hand-in-hand with planet Earth. I could think of ideas that you couldn't dream on in a million years! Ah, the universe has been waiting for me! Now...let's send that trip-stitch all over the ship. Did I ever tell you—best temp in Chiswick? A hundred words per minute!"

"Ha!" the New Doctor said.

The Daleks started rolling around uncontrollably.

"System malfunction-" one Dalek said.

"Motor causing interference-" another one said.

"What is happening? Explain!" the Supreme Dalek said.

Clara pushed a Dalek away as it got too close to her, laughing at the chaos.

"Come on then, boys, we've got twenty-seven planets to send home," Donna said. "Activate magnetron."

"Stop it at once!" Davros screamed.

Jack emerged from the TARDIS holding two very large guns.

"Mickey!" he said, tossing one to him.

"You will desist!" Davros said.

"Just stay where you are, mister," Mickey said, pointing his gun at Davros.

"Out of the way!" Jack said, kicking a Dalek out of the way.

Clara helped Rose and Sarah Jane push a Dalek away.

"Good to see you again!" Sarah Jane said.

"Yeah, you too!" Rose said.

"Rose!" Clara called, and the two cousins embraced. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," Rose said.

"Ready? And reverse!" Donna said, as she and the two Doctors pulled rods out of the controls.

"Off you go, Clom," the Doctor said.

"Back home, Adipose Three!" the New Doctor said.

"Shallacatop! Pyrovillia! The Lost Moon of Poosh. Topping. Ha!" Donna said.

"Ha!" the New Doctor exclaimed.

"We need more power..." the Doctor said.

"Is anyone gonna tell us what's going on?" Rose asked.

"'Cos this is a little more than weird," Clara said, looking between the three of them.

"He poured all his regeneration energy into his spare hand, I touched the hand, he grew out of that, but that fed back into me," Donna said quickly. "But, it just stayed dormant in my head 'til the synapses got that little extra spark, kicking them into life. Thank you, Davros!"

"Wait, regeneration?" Clara asked, looking at the Doctor, hands on hips.

"It's a long story, tell you later," the Doctor said.

"Part Human...part Time Lord," Donna said. "And I got the best bit of the Doctor. I got his mind."

"So, there's THREE of you?" Sarah Jane asked.

"Three Doctors?" Rose asked.

"I can't tell you what I'm thinking right now," Jack said in a distracted voice.

"Jack!" Clara snapped him out of it. "My Doctor, remember?"

"Hey, I can dream, can't I?" Jack said, grinning.

"You're so unique that the timelines were converging on you," the Doctor said. "Human Being with a Time Lord brain."

"But you promised me, Dalek Caan," Davros said. "Why did you not foresee this?"

Dalek Caan only giggled.

"Oh, I think he did," the Doctor said. "Something's been manipulating the timelines for ages...getting Donna Noble to the right place at the right time."

"This would always have happened," Dalek Caan said. "I only helped, Doctor."

"You...betrayed the Daleks?" Davros asked.

"I SAW the Daleks," Caan said. "What we have done throughout time and space. I saw the truth of us, Creator, and I decreed 'no more'."

"Heads up!" Jack said, as the Supreme Dalek descended.

"Davros, you have betrayed us," Supreme Dalek said.

"It was Dalek Caan!" Davros said.

"The Vault will be purged!" Supreme Dalek said. "You will all be exterminated!"

He sent a ray to the central column, causing sparks to fly everywhere.

"Like I was saying, feel this!" Jack said, using the gun to blast Supreme Dalek.

"Oh, we've lost the magnetron!" the Doctor said. "And there's only one planet left, oh—guess which one. Look, we can use the TARDIS!"

He ran to the TARDIS.

"Holding Earth stability...maintaining atmospheric shell," the New Doctor said, flicking switches.

"The prophesy must complete," Caan said.

"Don't listen to him," Davros said.

"I have seen the end of everything Dalek, and you must make it happen, Doctor," Caan said.

"He's right," the New Doctor said. "Because with or without a Reality Bomb, this Dalek Empire's big enough to slaughter the cosmos. They've got to be stopped!"

"No," Clara said.

"Just—just wait for the Doctor," Donna said.

"I am the Doctor," the New Doctor said. "Maximizing Dalekanium power feeds. Blasting them BACK!"

The Daleks started to explode, one by one.

"Doctor!" Clara shouted. The Doctor stood out of the TARDIS, seeing the chaos.

"What've you done!?" the Doctor asked, horrified.

"Fulfilling the prophesy," the New Doctor said.

Outside the Crucible, Dalek ships started to explode. Clara was nearly thrown to the ground as everything was exploding everywhere.

"Do you know what you've done?" the Doctor asked furiously. "Now, get in the TARDIS! Everyone! All of you inside, run! In, in, in, in, in!"

Clara ran into the TARDIS after Rose.

"Sarah Jane! Rose! Clara! Jackie! Jack! Mickey!" the New Doctor said, ushering them in from the door.

Clara grinned as everyone gathered around the console. The Doctor ran to join them and said, "And! Off we go!"

Clara held onto the console, like everyone else as the TARDIS shook as they left the Crucible.

"But what about the Earth?" Sarah Jane asked. "It's stuck in the wrong part of space!"

"I'm on it!" the Doctor said, then used the monitor. "Torchwood Hub, this is the Doctor. Are you receiving me?"

Since Clara was right next to the Doctor, she saw the Torchwood Hub come on screen.

"Loud and clear," Gwen said. "Is Jack there?"

"Can't get rid of him," the Doctor said. "Jack, what's her name?"

"Gwen Cooper," Jack said.

"Tell me, Gwen Cooper, are you from an old Cardiff family?" the Doctor asked. Clara looked at him, confused, wondering what that had to do with anything.

"Yes," Gwen said. "All the way back to the eighteen-hundreds."

"Mm, thought so!" the Doctor said. "Spatial genetic multiplicity..."

"Oh, yeah!" Rose said appreciatively.

"Yeah, yeah!" the Doctor said. "It's a funny old world!"

"Oh!" Clara said, getting it. Gwen Cooper looked just like Gwyneth, from when they met the Gelth.

"Now, Torchwood, I want you to open up that Rift Manipulator—send all the power to me," the Doctor said.

"Doing it now, sir," Ianto said.

"What's that for?" Martha asked.

"It's a tow-rope," the Doctor said. "Now then, Sarah—what was your son's name?"

"Luke, he's called Luke," Sarah Jane said. "And the computer's called Mr. Smith."

"Calling Luke and Mr. Smith!" the Doctor said. "Come on, Luke, shake a leg!"

"Is Mum there?" Luke asked, coming on screen.

"Oh, she's fine and dandy-" the Doctor said.

"Yes! Yes!" Sarah Jane said, laughing.

"Now, Mr. Smith, I want you to harness the Rift power and loop it round the TARDIS, you got that?" the Doctor asked.

"I regret I will need remote access to the TARDIS basecode numerals," Mr. Smith said.

"Oh, blimey," the Doctor said. "That's gonna take a while."

"No, no, no," Sarah Jane said, moving by Clara to the monitor. "Let me! K-9, out you come!"

"Affirmative, Mistress!" K-9 said.

"Oh, good dog!" the Doctor said, laughing. "K-9, give Mr. Smith the basecode!"

"Master," K-9 said. "TARDIS basecode now being transferred. The process is simple."

"Now, then, you lot," the Doctor said, sending Sarah Jane back to her place. "Sarah—hold that. And Mickey—you hold that. Because, you know why this TARDIS is always rattling about the place? Rose—that, there. It was designed to have six pilots and I have to do it single handed. Martha—keep that level. Clara—that button, hold it. But not anymore! Jack—there you go, steady that. Now we can fly this—No, Jackie. No, no. Not you. Don't touch anything, just...stand back -Like it's meant to be flown! We've got Torchwood Rift looped around the TARDIS by Mr. Smith. We're gonna fly planet Earth back home. Right, then! Off we go!"

He pulled a lever and they were off. Clara kept her button pushed down, while holding on. The New Doctor and Donna strolled around the console, watching them.

"Rose," the Doctor said, gesturing to a button.

"That's really good, Jack," Donna said, watching Jack pump a lever. "I think you're the best."

Jackie giggle and Clara snorted as Donna joined the New Doctor as they leaned against a support, chuckling.

The TARDIS floated on when the Earth was in its right position. Everyone started whooping and cheering and Clara was taken by surprise as the Doctor grabbed her and kissed her. Clara turned pink as Jack started making whooping noises at them. That was until Donna grabbed him in a hug.

Clara held hands with the Doctor as they stepped outside with Sarah Jane.

"You know...you act like such a lonely man," Sarah Jane said. "But look at you! You've got the biggest family on Earth! Also, you have Clara."

The Doctor smiled and Sarah Jane hugged him and then Clara.

"See ya, Sarah Jane," Clara said.

"Gotta go!" Sarah Jane said, suddenly backing away. "He's only fourteen! It's a long story. And thank you!"

She waved to them and then was gone down the sidewalk. Jack and Martha were the next two to leave the TARDIS. The first thing the Doctor did was grab Jack's wrist to disable his vortex manipulator.

"I TOLD you, no teleport," the Doctor said. "And Martha, get rid of that Osterhagen thing, eh? Save the world one more time."

"Consider it done," Martha said, smiling as she hugged Clara.

Jack and Martha both saluted Clara and the Doctor, which the Doctor returned, but Clara just grinned. Jack gave Clara a hug before him and Martha walked away, hand-in-hand.

Mickey emerged from the TARDIS, startling Clara.

"Oi! Where are you going?" the Doctor asked.

"Well, I'm not stupid—I can work out what happens next," Mickey said. "And hey, I had a good time in that parallel world but my Gran passed away. Nice and peaceful. Spent her last years living in a mansion. There's nothing there for me, now. Certainly not Rose."

"Wish I could've been there for you, Mickey," Clara said. "I really loved that woman."

"Thanks, Clara," Mickey said.

"What will you do?" the Doctor asked.

"Anything!" Mickey said. "Brand new life. Just you watch."

He knocked fists with the Doctor and hugged Clara.

"See you, boss," Mickey said, then ran to catch up to Jack and Martha. "Hey, you two!"

The Doctor and Clara turned back to the TARDIS and went to the console.

"There's time for one last trip," he said. "Dårlig Ulv Stranden. Better known as..."

The Doctor, Donna, and Clara followed Jackie, Rose, and the New Doctor out onto the same beach that Rose had been left on before.

"Hold on, this is the parallel universe, right?" Rose asked.

"You're back home," the Doctor said.

"And the walls of the world are closing again...now that the Reality Bomb never happened," Donna said. "It's dimension retroclosure. See, I really get that stuff now."

"No, but I spent all that time trying to find you and Clara, I'm not going back now!" Rose said, bewildered and close to tears.

"But you've got to," the Doctor said, stepping towards her. "Because we saved the universe, but at a cost. And the cost is him."

He looked at the New Doctor.

"He destroyed the Daleks," the Doctor said. "He committed genocide. He's too dangerous to be left on his own."

"You made me!" the new Doctor said, confused and angry.

"Exactly, you were born in battle—full of blood and anger and revenge," the Doctor said, then looked at Rose and Clara, but mainly at Rose. "Remind you of someone? That's me. When we first me. And you made me better. And now, you can to the same for him."

"But he's not you," Rose said, tearful.

"He needs you," the Doctor said. "That's very me."

"But it's better than that, though," Donna said. "Don't you see what he's trying to give you? Tell her, go on."

Rose turned and faced the New Doctor.

"I look like him and I think like him...same memories, same thoughts, same everything," the New Doctor said. "Well, except for feeling about Clara. Sorry. Except, I've only got one heart."

"Which mean?" Rose asked.

"I'm part Human," he said. "Specifically the aging part. I'll grow old and never regenerate. I've only got one life... Rose Tyler. I could spend it with you. If you want."

"You'll grow—grow old at the same time as me?" Rose asked.

"Together," the New Doctor said.

Rose put a hand on his chest, feeling only one heartbeat. There was a sudden grinding sound from the TARDIS that made everyone look.

"We've gotta go," the Doctor said, taking Clara's hand. "This reality's sealing itself off. Forever."

The Doctor, Clara, and Donna turned around to head back to the TARDIS and Rose went after them.

"But it's still not right," Rose said. Clara looked at her cousin sadly as they turned around. "Because...the Doctor's...still you."

"And I'm him," the Doctor said, nodding to the new Doctor.

"All right," Rose said. "Both of you, answer me this."

"This is kinda creepy," Clara whispered to Donna as the two Doctors stood side by side, identical expressions, identical positions, identical hands in their pockets.

"When I last stood on this beach on the worst day of my life...what was the last thing you said to me?" Rose asked, looking at the real Doctor. "Go on, say it."

"I said, 'Rose Tyler'," the Doctor said.

"Yeah, and how was that sentence going to end?" Rose asked.

"Does it need saying?" the Doctor asked. Clara gripped his hand, noticing the pain written all over his face. She was also in pain. She was about to lose her family, Jackie and Rose, for the second time.

"And you, Doctor?" Rose said, turning to the new Doctor. "What was the end of that sentence?"

The new Doctor leaned down and whispered something in her ear. When he pulled away, Rose immediately pulled him back and kissed him.

"That was too weird," Clara said, as she, the Doctor, and Donna closed the doors to the TARDIS.

The Doctor pulled her into a hug, knowing she needed it, as she was crying but trying to stay cheerful and funny.

Donna was moving around the console, fiddling with controls, while the Doctor and Clara leaned against a support, watching her.

"I thought we could try the planet Felspoon...just 'cos," Donna said. "What a good name, 'Felspoon.' Apparently, it's got mountains that sway in the breeze. Mountains that move. Can you imagine?"

"And how do you know that?" the Doctor asked.

"Because it's in your head!" Donna said. "And if it's in your head, it's in mine!"

"And how does that feel?" the Doctor asked.

"Brilliant!" Donna said. "Fantastic! Molto bene! Great bit of universe packed into my brain. You know you could fix that chameleon circuit if you just try and hotbind in the fragment links and superseding the binary, binary, binary, binary, binary—I'm fine!"

Clara got a very confused and worried look on her face.

"Nah, never mind Felspoon," Donna said. "You know who I'd like to meet? Charlie Chaplin. I've heard he's great, Charlie Chaplin. Shall we do that? Shall we go and see Charlie Chaplin?"

She picked up the phone and spoke into it, "Shall we? Charlie Chaplin? Charlie Chester, Charlie Brown. No, he's fiction, friction, fiction, fixen, mixen, rixten, brixton-"

She gasped and doubled over.

"Doctor, what-?" Clara asked, before the Doctor put his finger to his lips.

"Oh, my gosh," Donna said, holding her head.

"Do you know what's happening?" the Doctor asked.

Clara then got what was happening. It reminded her of when she had the Time Vortex in her head and her head had been killing her. She supposed that was what was happening to Donna now, with the Time Lord in her head.

"Yeah," Donna said.

"There's never been a Human-Time Lord metacrisis before now," the Doctor said. "And you know why."

"Because there can't be," Donna said. "I want to stay."

"Look at me," the Doctor said, while Clara started to silently cry. "Donna, look at me."

"I was gonna be with you two...forever," Donna said, shaking.

"I know," the Doctor whispered.

"The rest of my life...traveling..in the TARDIS. The Doctor-Donna," she said. "No. Oh, my gosh. I can't go back. Don't make me go back. Doctor...please. Please, don't make me go back."

"Donna," the Doctor said. "Oh, Donna Noble. I am so, so sorry. But we had the best of times. The best. Goodbye."

"No," Donna frantically said. "No, please! Please! No, NO, no!"

The Doctor put his fingers to her temples and closed his eyes.

"NO!" Donna cried one last time before she fell unconscious.

Clara rang the doorbell at the Nobles' house, while the Doctor was holding Donna on the ground. Wilfred opened the door, laughing until he saw them. Clara's face was streaked with tears and the Doctor was on the ground with an unconscious Donna.

"Help me," the Doctor said urgently.

"Donna? Donna?" Wilfred asked.

He helped the Doctor lay her on the bed, then left the room.

"Goodbye, Donna Noble," Clara said sadly, kissing her forehead. The Doctor just stood there, watching Donna. Then, it was time to explain things to Sylvia and Wilfred.

The Doctor and Clara sat on the couch together, gripping each other's hands, while the Doctor explained.

"She took my mind into her own head," the Doctor said. "But that's a Time Lord consciousness. All that knowledge—it was killing her."

"But she'll get better now?" Wilfred asked.

"I had to wipe her mind, completely," the Doctor said. "Every trace of me, or Clara, or the TARDIS...everything we did together, anywhere we went...had to go."

"All those wonderful things she did," Wilfred said.

"I know," the Doctor said quietly. "But that version of Donna is dead. Because if she remembers, just for a second, she'll burn up. You can never tell her. You can't mention me, or Clara, or any of it...for the rest of her life."

"But the whole world's talking about it," Sylvia said. "We traveled across space!"

"It'll just be a story," the Doctor said. "One of those Donna Noble stories, where she missed it all again."

"Be she was better with you," Wilfred said, upset.

"Don't say that-" Sylvia said.

"No, she was," Wilfred said angrily.

"I just want you to know that there are worlds out there, safe in the sky, because of her," the Doctor said. "That there are people living in the light, singing songs of Donna Noble, a thousand million light-years away...they will never forget her. While she can never remember. And for one moment...one shining moment...she was the most important woman in the whole wide universe."

"She still is," Sylvia said shortly. "She's my daughter."

"Then maybe you should tell her that once in a while," the Doctor said.

There were footsteps coming from upstairs and Donna came into the room. Clara quietly inhaled.

"I was asleep, ON my bed, IN my clothes, like a flippin' kid!" Donna said, holding her phone. "What did you let me do that for?! Don't mind me. Donna."

"John Smith," the Doctor said, standing, holding out his hand.

"Er, Jane Doe," Clara said, also holding out her hand. Donna shook both of their hands, not really looking at them.

"Mr. Smith and Miss Doe were just leaving," Sylvia said.

"My phone's gone mad!" Donna said. "Thirty-two texts, Veena's gone barmy, she's saying planets in the sky—WHAT have I missed now? Nice to meet you two," she said, as she left the room.

"Like I said, I think you two should go," Sylvia said coldly.

The Doctor and Clara went to the door, accompanied by Wilfred.

"Ah...you'll have quite a bit of this," the Doctor said, looking at the rain outside. "Atmospheric disturbance. Still, it'll pass. Everything does. Bye then, Wilfred."

The Doctor shook his hand. Clara gave Wilfred a hug and kissed his cheek.

"You take good care of her," Clara said, as she stepped out into the rain with the Doctor.

"Oh, Doctor...what about you two, now?" Wilfred asked.

"We'll be fine," the Doctor said, managing a smile.

"I'll watch out for you two, sir, ma'am," Wilfred said.

"You can't ever tell her," the Doctor said.

"No, no, no," Wilfred said. "But every night, Doctor...when it gets dark...and the stars come out...I'll look up. On her behalf. I'll look up a the sky and think of you two."

"Thank you," the Doctor said, as he and Clara went back to the TARDIS and the Doctor dematerialized it.

Clara curled up on the pilot chair, hit hard by all the losses she had gone through that day. Jackie and Rose had gone back to the parallel universe, and now Donna was gone. The Doctor sat down beside her and pulled her head into his lap.

They stayed like that long after the TARDIS was gone from Chiswick and floating in space.


End file.
